Wings
by JellyBeanSpazz
Summary: Sakura is a quiet fairy princess with a dark past. When sent to aid the Fellowship, she finds that the Fellowship detests her because of an old wizard's misleading words. Sakura fights to find acceptance in the Fellowship and perhaps even a little more with a certain blonde prince. Probably Mary Sue. AU. LegolasxOC. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize.**

Chapter 1

A figure shrouded in gray mist stood alone at a balcony, overlooking a grove of cherry trees stretching out to the horizon where the moon, an oddly enormous silvery ball, glimmered gently in the blanket of the night sky. The figure sighed and swept the hood of its cloak backwards, revealing an angular yet feminine face. Amethyst eyes shone in a pale face, marking her as rightful queen of the Silver Isles. "Oh, Gandalf," the fairy queen sighed, "what have you gotten yourself into now?"

Suddenly, the balcony door swung open. "Mother," whispered a hesitant voice, "you sent for me?" Queen Titania turned around to face her eldest daughter, Sakura. As instructed, the crown princess was packed for travel.

"Yes," the older fairy replied, "they have need for you in the Far West. Gandalf requires your presence." Sakura's brow wrinkled in confusion.

"Mother, you know I have not been in Middle Earth for hundreds of years. Why should I return now?"

The queen's mouth hardened into a grim line. "Sauron the Deceiver has risen once again." Sakura tilted her head.

"Mother, surely you jest," she queried tremblingly. "It is not possible."

"Now, there is no time for me to explain," Titania interrupted. "Fly to Imladris right away. Gandalf will instruct you when you arrive." Sakura bobbed a quick bow.

"Farewell, mother," she murmured, her eyes still confused. With a mighty leap into the air, she unfurled her transparent wings and churned the heavy night air. Titania smiled faintly at the sight of her daughter's wings illuminated against the enormous moon. "Come back to me alive, dear one," she murmured.

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is so short. Looking back now that I have written a bit more, I realize how extremely short and… well, bad, this chapter is. I promise that the later chapters are quite a bit lengthier. Please keep reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: If I owned ****Lord of the Rings****, I wouldn't be sitting in front of my computer eating jelly beans and writing fanfiction.**

**BiancaDiAngelo: I'm glad you're enjoying it so far! Please keep reading**.

**Gracie: Input is always appreciated, and so far, I don't think this story is going to include any witchcraft.**

Chapter 2

**A Tree in Imladris: October 24th, 3018**

Elrond sat in a comfortable tree, sighing happily. What a lovely afternoon it was. No Elladan and Elrohir galloping around and chasing yowling maidens. No angry Glorfindel running after the twins screaming obscenities. Just the warmth of the afternoon sun upon his face and the sweet spray of the waterfall sprinkling his hair. Yes, it was a lovely afternoon, and nothing was going to ruin it.

**Right Beside the Tree in Imladris: October 24th, 3018**

Sakura was exhausted. She had been flying nonstop for a week through awful conditions, and her wings and back ached. Spotting a tree that she deemed perfect for an incognito landing, she quickly pulled her hood over her double-pointed ears and fluttered over to the tree. She retracted her wings into the slits in her back, and fell into the tree, directly into the lap of one extremely surprised elven lord. 

**Underneath the Tree in Imladris: October 24th, 3018**

Prince Legolas of Mirkwood sat under a shady tree, his long legs folded underneath him and a thick book in his hands. _I rather like this tree_, he decided cheerfully. The leaves were large and soft, effectively shielding him from the sunlight, and the trunk was smooth and comfortable. Suddenly, the tree shivered and... sneezed. Legolas glanced upwards into the thick foliage. Nothing happened. _I must be more tired than I thought if I'm imagining sneezing trees_, he thought. Legolas shut his book, stood up, and prepared to retire to his chambers for an early nap when a bundle of writhing limbs and shredded leaves crashed down beside him. The elf stared at the bundle in amazement. Not only was that a bundle of writhing limbs, it was a bundle of the infamous elven warrior Lord Elrond's writhing limbs. Said limbs painfully detangled themselves from those of a cloaked figure and Elrond carefully hauled himself to his feet. It was then that Legolas turned his attention to the other figure, whose hood had fallen off. Legolas gazed at the female in front of him. Glowing violet eyes wandered around uncertainly, set in a small, heart-shaped face framed by a curtain of silky ebony hair. Her cheekbones were high and well defined, and her lips were full and pink. All in all, she was pretty, not in the primped, made-up way of the ladies of the Mirkwood court, but in an unearthly, alien way. Yet Legolas was not only drawn to her because of her features, but also because of the strange aura she exuded. While her beauty screamed,_ look at me_, the way she held herself revealed that she seemed to be desperate for no one to notice her. As her eyes settled themselves upon Legolas, she quickly gasped, pulled her hood up, and dashed off. Elrond continued to brush himself off. "Oh dear," he sighed, "I had better go find her. Gandalf would be most upset with me if I lost his special guest."

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Sakura sank down next to a mossy rock. _Idiot_, she chastised herself, _it wasn't enough for you to crash into Lord Elrond, you had to reveal yourself to the Prince of Mirkwood as well? _

"Milady, are you alright?" asked a rather worried voice in Sindarin. The princess glanced up to find the Lord of Imladris' concerned eyes upon her.

"Quite alright," she lied.

"Well then, I had better show you to your rooms. I'm sure it was a long journey. You can go find Gandalf after you have settled in," Elrond said firmly.

Sakura rose to her feet gracefully and followed the elf with her head low. She heard confused murmurs stirring from the staff of the Last Homely House, and walked even faster. "Here we are," Elrond told her cheerfully, stopping before a tall cedar door, "you may stay here for the remainder of your visit." Sakura bowed her thanks and Elrond silently left the room, leaving the fairy to admire her room. The walls were painted a pale cream that seemed to glow gently, just like the moon. _Perfect for a fairy_, Sakura thought, for all of her kin shared a love for the moon. The bed was covered with a plush comforter woven with an impossibly fine yet strong thread. The princess tossed her travel bags onto the bed and threw open the closet doors, which had been bulging as they vainly attempted to constrain all of the clothes inside. Dresses of every color and fabric burst into her face. A vibrant scarlet dress with intricate gold threading caught her eye first, then an icy blue one with silver lacings along the side. Sakura turned each dress to inspect the back and sighed, disappointed. Not a single dress had slits for her wings. Perhaps this room wasn't as perfect for her as she had initially thought. She wandered into the bathroom sadly, but her eyes immediately lit up as they found a steaming tub of water. Grinning with delight, she quickly stripped off her travel-worn clothes and slipped in, sighing with pleasure. After washing the dirt and sweat from her body, she reluctantly clambered out and dressed in a silver robe she had brought from home, and pulled the hood over her face once again. With that, she headed down to the dining hall.

The dining hall was filled with elves, Men, dwarves, and strangely enough, hobbits. Lord Elrond immediately spotted Sakura and pulled her over to sit next to a familiar figure cloaked in gray. "Gandalf," she hissed as she seated herself.

The Istari glanced up jovially and chuckled. "Why hello, Princess Sakura!" he all but shouted.

Sakura almost slapped the wizard. "You couldn't have said that any louder, you crazy old coot! You're going to ruin all of my mother's efforts to keep the existence of the fairies a secret! Now I didn't fly all the way here for the first time in centuries to exchange pleasantries. Tell me why I am here, for goodness' sake!"

Gandalf chuckled. "I see you haven't gained any more patience in the last few centuries, child."

"I am not a child!" yelped Sakura petulantly. "Now tell me!"

Several elves turned around and stared. Sakura blushed and turned her attention to the food that had suddenly appeared on her plate. Gandalf couldn't resist a final barb. "Now who couldn't have said what any louder?"

Sakura growled, her hands clenching into fists.

"Alright, alright," Gandalf chortled, "I'll tell you before you explode. Tomorrow morning, Lord Elrond will be holding a council. There, a fellowship will be formed and charged with the task of delivering Sauron's Ring to Mount Doom."

Sakura almost choked on her food. "Since when do we have the One Ring?"

Gandalf sighed. "Since about 60 years ago. See, this is what happens when you don't come back to Middle Earth for centuries. You miss things."

Sensing an imminent headache, Sakura motioned for Gandalf to continue with his story.

"Ah, yes, the Fellowship. I will be joining it, and I wish for you to as well," Gandalf mentioned casually before swallowing a chunk of carrot.

This time, Sakura actually did choke. "Hmmmph, what did you mean, you wish for me to join the Fellowship as well?"

Gandalf's weathered old face turned grim. "My death approaches, princess. I can feel it in my bones. I shall fall, and the Fellowship will need the level-headedness that women seem to have and men do not."

Sakura's face was troubled. "I do not know if I can do what you ask of me, Gandalf. As crown princess and heiress to the throne, my duty is to my people. We both know there is a high chance that I will never return if I set out with you. What will my country do if I fall?"

Gandalf gazed at her, all signs of lightheartedness entirely gone. "You have eight younger sisters who can take your place as future queen of the Silver Isles. I realize that this is a gargantuan decision. All I ask of you for now is that you attend the council tomorrow. Will you attend?"

Sakura poked at her fish with her fork. After a long moment of silence, she sighed. "I will attend."

**Whoo, that was a long chapter! Well, I hope you liked it! The next chapter should be up within the next two days, if not tomorrow. Please read and review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.**

**Mistflower21: Thanks for your kind words. Reviews really make my day. This update is longer!**

**Also, I don't have a beta at the moment, so if you catch any mistakes, please let me know. I'm still figuring out this whole fanfiction thingy **

**Bold is Elvish/Sindarin/Quenya**

Chapter 3

**Imladris: October 25****th****, 3018**

Men, elves, dwarves, a wizard, a hobbit, and a fairy sat in the interior council chamber. Sakura wore her silver hood over her face and sat silently beside Gandalf and a dark-haired hobbit. She could feel dozens of eyes examining her, wondering who she was. Sakura burrowed down a little farther into her chair. Gandalf patted her knee comfortingly. "Do not worry," he whispered, "I will translate for you." Sakura winced at that. Having not been in Middle Earth for such a long time, the only language she could speak other than Feyish, her native language, was Elvish. Unfortunately, the council was to be held in the Common Tongue. However, even though she was uncomfortable with the language barrier, it was not the largest of her concerns. She had still not decided whether or not to join the Fellowship. Although she had not told Gandalf, her loyalty to her country was not the only reason she was reluctant to join the Fellowship. After all, with a past like hers, it was impossible not to fear men, and to journey with a fellowship comprised entirely of men made the fairy more than a little uncomfortable. As she shifted around, trying to appear discreet, she spotted a familiar blonde elf with piercing blue eyes. Gulping, Sakura wished she could disappear. The handsome Prince of Mirkwood had been one of the few beings on Middle Earth to see her face in hundreds of years. Wait, handsome? Where had that come from? So what if Legolas had silky golden hair that she desperately wanted to run her fingers through, and a striking, well-defined jaw, and a muscular, toned body, not to mention those crystal clear cerulean eyes? That didn't mean she was attracted to him, of course not. Luckily, Elrond's voice drew her out of her thoughts as he addressed the council, Gandalf whispering the Sindarin translations into her ears all the while.

"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will united, or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate. This one doom," Elrond began. "Bring forth the ring, Frodo."

Sakura watched as the diminutive hobbit tremblingly revealed the ring and placed it upon the plinth before dashing back to his seat. Murmurs stirred in the crowd as the free folk of Middle Earth craned their necks in an effort to catch a glimpse of the terrifyingly tempting Ring of Sauron. A stocky Man with dark hair and gray eyes, most likely of Gondorian descent, leaned forwards in his seat. "So it is true," he breathed.

"Sauron's Ring! The ring of power!" cried Legolas in disbelief.

"The doom of man," hissed a wide set dwarf with fiery hair.

The Gondorian rose to his feet, his eyes frighteningly sharp, and began to speak passionately, a mad hope burning in his eyes. "It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor! Why not use this Ring? Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, held the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe. Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy, let us use it against him!"

A tall Man with stringy dark hair and the worn appearance of a Ranger sighed heavily. "You cannot wield it. None of us can. The one ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master."

The first Man turned around. A scowl twisting his lips, he sneered, "And what would a Ranger know of this matter?"

Legolas leapt to his feet furiously. "This is no more Ranger! He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance."

"Aragorn? This is Isildur's heir?" he questioned.

"And heir to the throne of Gondor," Legolas confirmed. Sakura turned and stared at the Ranger. This was the future king of Gondor? His outward appearance was battered, but she could see in his eyes the stony determination she often saw in those of her mother and father. The king glanced around at the stunned council and sighed.

"**Sit down, Legolas**," he instructed.

The first Gondorian glared at Aragorn. "Gondor needs no king," he hissed, his eyes warning Aragorn to stay far away from his country.

Gandalf stood. "Aragorn is right, Boromir. We cannot use it," he said powerfully.

Lord Elrond walked to the front of the council, all of his years suddenly appearing on his weary face. "You have only one choice. The ring must be destroyed." Sakura sighed heavily. She knew that the time was drawing close to when she had to make her decision. She studied the faces of those around her, and her eyes stopped on Frodo, and the rest of the council seemed to dissolve into a hazy swirl. His wide blue eyes were filled with terror and agony, his fists clenched so hard that the bones were visible through his pale skin. That was when she knew. He was to be the Ringbearer. _So young_, she mourned, _too young to lose his innocence in such a way. Even if his body makes it through this journey intact, his soul will forever be tortured_. Suddenly, Gandalf stood, breaking the spell, and sound rushed back into Sakura's ears, overwhelming her senses. _They are arguing_, she realized, _about who shall take that foul thing to Mount Doom_.

She turned her eyes back to Frodo, who looked absolutely terrified as he stood and said shakily, "I will take it." The arguments continued as the elves and dwarves snapped at each other. "I will take it. I will take the Ring to Mordor," Frodo said more loudly. The room quieted as every pair of eyes turned themselves disbelievingly to the tiny hobbit before them. Suddenly awkward, Frodo continued, "Though… I do not know the way."

Gandalf rose and locked eyes with Sakura for a moment, his gray eyes boring holes into her before he joined Frodo. "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear." There was a moment of silence when Sakura was overwhelmed by the pity she felt. Pity for Frodo's abrupt loss of innocence, pity for the corruption of Boromir that she knew was imminent, pity for the children of Middle Earth who had grown up knowing nothing but agony and terror. Sakura knew what she had to do. She stood and kneeled before Frodo, wordlessly placing his hand upon her head.

Aragorn approached the trio. "If, by my life or death, I can protect you, I will. You have my sword."

"And my bow," cried Legolas, leaping forward. Sakura hid behind Gandalf, her gut dropping.

Gimli glared at the elf, as if to say that he was not to be outdone. "And my axe," he bellowed.

Boromir strode over to the group. "You carry the fate of us all, little one," he uttered slowly, "but if this is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done." Sakura watched in amusement as three other hobbits popped out from the bushes on the edge of the dais and pledged themselves to Frodo in their own endearing ways.

Elrond examined the group carefully. "Ten companions… so be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring." With that, the council was dismissed. As soon as the others had left, Aragorn immediately turned upon Gandalf.

"Who is this cloaked figure that you bring and so readily trust?" he hissed.

Gandalf stared straight back at Isildur's heir. "Her name is Sakura, and she will be an essential part of this journey," he replied, "she will be there to comfort you as only a woman can. Do not underestimate her importance." Sakura had not understood a word of their argument, and tapped rapidly on Gandalf's arm, wanting him to translate. Gandalf gripped the fairy's arm. "**Let us retire**," he said, "**it has been a long day**." Sakura nodded and the pair left for their rooms. Little did the princess know, the Fellowship had misunderstood Gandalf's misguiding words.

"So she is a woman of the night," concluded Legolas once the two were out of earshot.

"She must be," mused Pippin, "Gandalf said that she will offer us comfort that only a woman can. Also, that is probably why she covers her face. Perhaps she is so disfigured no man would marry her and now she is a prostitute."

Aragorn growled. "Women like her have no self-respect and therefore deserve no respect from us," he hissed. Legolas nodded vehemently, his blue eyes blazing.

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Legolas sat under the tree where he had encountered Lord Elrond and the stranger the previous day. Oh, that strange woman. Her face had been floating around in Legolas' mind all day. Those violet eyes, tilted like a cat's yet so wide and vulnerable at the same time. Her straight black hair, shining in the afternoon sun, cascading over her glowing alabaster skin. He was entranced by her, and if Lord Elrond had not been there as well, he would have thought she was nothing but a phantom created by an overused mind. Legolas shook his head, stood up, and headed for the archery range. He needed to clear his head, and archery had always taken his mind off of whatever was bothering him.

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Sakura stretched her back out, yawning widely and rubbing her neck. Her afternoon nap had done her good, but she was ready to get out of her room. She would have loved to go for a nice flight, but with the sharp eyes of the elves all around, she knew it was not an option. _Perhaps I should start befriending the rest of the Fellowship_, she thought_, after all, with Gandalf's_… she could not bring herself to even think of his death, _with his… situation, I had better at least become friendly with someone else. It is time to overcome this aversion towards men._ Quickly dressing in a black cloak, she headed outside, admiring the beautiful sunset. Not spotting anyone in the courtyard, she headed for the archery range. _Oh well. I can talk to them some other day._ _Might as well get some practice in before I leave for a potentially life-threatening adventure_, she thought sarcastically.

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Legolas sighted down his bow carefully before powerfully releasing his arrow. _Thwack!_ The arrow hit the center of the target once again. He grinned proudly. "**I must say, you are the best archer I have ever met since the days of Beleg Cuthalion**," commented a female voice. Legolas turned, surprised, only to spot a cloaked woman.

"**Sakura**," he said stiffly. Sakura frowned. Did males not address respectable women as 'Lady' anymore? Perhaps times had changed more than she thought.

"**Well met, Prince**," she replied. Legolas only grunted in reply before letting loose another arrow. "**It is a wonderful day to practice archery, is it not?**" she asked cheerfully. The wood-elf turned around, irritated.

"**What do you want?"** he spat aggressively.

"**There is no need to be so rude**," she said, taken aback by his lack of manners. The prince tossed his bow to the ground.

"**Women like you deserve no respect**," he growled. Sakura's head was spinning. What did he mean?

"**Women like me?**" she asked questioningly.

"**Women who do what you do for a living**," he replied, rolling his eyes at her lack of understanding.

Sakura stared at the elf in confusion. Was he not royalty as well? "**I would think that of all people, you would understand what I do the most**," she said.

Legolas' eyes bulged, and the world turned crimson. "**And what is that supposed to mean?**"

"**You are like me.** **It is apparent in the way you hold yourself, the way you carry yourself. Some people are just born to do what we do, and the moment I saw you I knew what you were,**" Sakura explained.

Legolas had never been rude to a female before. He had never insulted one, had never raised a hand against one. But this was different. She was tarnishing his honor, and he would not tolerate it. Raising his fist, he punched her in the face with all his strength and heard a nasty crack as she flew backwards into a tree. The other elves on the range turned and stared. His hand was slippery with her crimson blood. Simmering with rage, Legolas retrieved his bow from the ground where he had thrown it and strode back towards his rooms, leaving Sakura bleeding by the tree.

***A/N - So sorry, everybody, but I will probably not be able to update until Monday. Please don't kill me! (dodges LotR books). I'm desperately trying to cook up something awesome for Chapter 4. In the meantime, read and review, please!***


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own nothing! Anything you recognize belongs to Tolkien and Peter Jackson.**

**Thank you all for supporting Wings, I am super duper happy whenever I get reviews/favorites/follows! **

**Anyways, sorry for the delay, a busy schedule and writer's block are not a good combination. School is right around the corner, so I am going to try and write as much as possible in my last week of freedom :'(. Also, this chapter is not so much about events in the ****Lord of the Rings**** series, instead I'm using it to let the readers familiarize themselves with Sakura. Now, on to the story!**

**Bold is Elvish/Sindarin/Quenya/Noldorin**

Chapter 4

**Imladris: October 25****th****, 3018**

Sakura groaned as the fading sunlight invaded her vision. Her jaw ached terribly, and her vision was fuzzy around the edges. _What happened to me? _she wondered. Attempting to move her jaw, she yelped in sudden pain as burning knives shot through her face. _What on Middle Earth?_ Suddenly, the memory of her strange encounter with Legolas pushed itself to the front of her mind. Reaching up to her face, Sakura winced as she carefully probed her jaw. Luckily, nothing was broken, but Legolas' nails had scratched angry red roads across her jaw. Lowering her hand, she stared at her fingers, which were stained a violent scarlet. _If I were still in the Silver Isles, I would head straight to the Healing Houses. However, if I seek out the healers here, in order for them to heal my wounds, I would have to show my face to them, therefore revealing my identity, and that is something I will not risk_, the fairy reasoned. _Perhaps I shall go to Lord Elrond. He is a renowned healer, and he already knows of the existence of fairies._ Standing up, she gripped her robes with one hand and began to make her way to the path leading back to the Last Homely House, ignoring the curious yet disgusted looks the elves on the archery range were shooting her. _What is it with these elves?_ she thought miserably, _Why do they hate me so much? And why was Legolas so bothered when I brought up the fact that he is the prince of Mirkwood?_ Questions buzzing around in her head like bees in midsummer heat, the princess continued down the path to seek out Lord Elrond.

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Lord Elrond of Imladris sat at his back, writing a letter to his mother-in-law, Galadriel. _As you probably already know from your mirror, a fairy will be accompanying the Fellowship,_ he wrote, _and you know that her fate is tied to that of_ –

"**Lord Elrond**?" asked a timid voice.

"**Come in**," he mumbled, not looking up from his paper.

"**Lord Elrond**?" questioned the voice again.

Elrond finally glanced upwards, expecting to see a maid but instead finding the princess of the Silver Isles before him. "**Prin – Princess Sakura**," he stuttered in surprise, "**how may I help you**?"

"**Just Sakura, please**," she murmured shyly. "**I'm afraid I seem to have accidentally injured my face, and I cannot go to the healers without compromising my identity**."

Elrond nodded understandingly and sat her down in a plush white chair as he hurried around, collecting medical materials. "**Sakura, forgive me, but I do not know much about healing fairies, seeing as you are the only one I have ever met. Is there anything I should know**?"

Sakura chuckled quietly. "**Not really. I mean, iron burns our skin like fire, but my injury today has nothing to do with iron, so treating me should be like treating an elf**."

Elrond bobbed his head, secretly excited that this mysterious being had come to him, hoping that he could perhaps learn something about the elusive fairies. As he removed her hood to view her wounds, he hissed quietly.

"**Sakura, what happened to you? These scratches are clearly the result of a wayward punch, not an accident**."

Sakura winced. For some reason, she did not want to get Legolas in trouble. _How strange_, she thought, _he beat me for no apparent reason, and I still want to protect him. _"**Nothing happened, I was training for hand-to-hand combat and my partner accidentally scratched me**," she lied.

"**I raised three mischievous children,**" Elrond warned, glaring at Sakura disapprovingly. "**I can tell when you youngsters are lying. Now who did this to you**?"

Sighing heavily, Sakura knew she was trapped. "**Legolas,**" she muttered incoherently.

"**Speak clearly, child**," Elrond ordered sternly as he dabbed gently at her wounds.

"**Legolas**," she said a little louder.

"**Legolas**?" questioned the elven lord.

"**Yes, Legolas**," the fairy replied uncomfortably.

"**Legolas**?!" asked Elrond again as he finished treating her scratches. "**Why would he do such a thing? Thranduilion is honorable**." He replaced the hood on Sakura's head.

"**Well then, I suppose Legolas isn't as honorable as you think,"** hissed Sakura venomously, more annoyed at Elrond for not believing her than at Legolas for beating her.

Someone cleared their throat at the door. Elrond and the princess spun around, spotting Aragorn at the door.

"**How long have you been standing there**?" cried the fairy, fearing that her identity had been revealed.

"**Long enough to hear you insult the honor of a dear friend of mine**" growled Aragorn, "**as if you are one to talk**."

Sakura threw her hands up in the air, frustrated at everyone's treatment of her. If she was not wanted here, then she would not stay here. "**Lord Elrond, I do believe that I shall be returning to my home nation as a brief vacation. I will be back in two moons' time,**" she seethed. A bit surprised but aware that he probably couldn't stop her anyways, Elrond nodded at her, dismissing the princess as he beckoned his foster son forward. Sakura stormed back to her room and began to pack, tossing her clothes and weapons into her bag. She scribbled a quick note to Gandalf describing the circumstances of her departure, assuring him that she would be back before the Fellowship set off for Mordor. Opening a window, she hopped out into the fragrant night air. Luckily for Sakura, the stars were veiled, and no elves were out stargazing that night. Glancing around to check that nobody was around, she unfurled her wings from where they had rested inside of her back. Clear butterfly wings spanning the height of a fully grown elf glimmered softly in the moonlight, their rainbow veins pulsating gently. Sakura nearly moaned at the feeling of her cramped wings stretching in the crisp air, light droplets of water from the dozens of waterfalls in Imladris dampening her wings. Sweeping her wings forward powerfully, she rose into the air and flew towards the moon.

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Gandalf was going crazy. He could not find Sakura anywhere. She had not been on the training fields, or in Lord Elrond's study, and now she was not answering her door. Even more worryingly, she had missed breakfast, an odd occasion as the princess was famous in her country for eating amounts of food that would split any other's stomach apart. Pounding on her door once more and receiving no response, Gandalf knew what he had to do. _Forgive me, friend Elrond_, he thought. Raising his staff, he pointed it at the door and blasted it into splinters of pale wood. Stepping carefully through the wreckage, he glanced around. No Sakura. As he was about to leave and apologize to Elrond for blowing up his door for no reason, he noticed a folded letter upon Sakura's bed. Opening it and skimming through it, he groaned, pounding his head on the wall.

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Legolas sat in his room, fuming furiously. Aragorn had just informed him that Sakura had insulted his honor (again) and then abandoned the Fellowship. This woman was flighty and irresponsible, as was to be expected from a woman of the night. He had known that she was not to be trusted. What Legolas had found strange was that Gandalf trusted her so wholeheartedly. Perhaps Sakura was a witch and had enchanted Gandalf into trusting her. As the prince mused about the strange new addition to the Fellowship, Gandalf pointed his staff at Legolas' door and blasted it open.

"Eru, Gandalf!" shouted Legolas, "What was so urgent that you had to blast my door apart to tell me?"

Gandalf's steely gray eyes blazed with rage. "Legolas Thranduilion, you despicable elfling!"

Legolas stared up at Gandalf. Gandalf growled. "You punched Sakura?" the wizard questioned furiously. Legolas stood up angrily.

"She tarnished my honor!" he cried. Gandalf sighed, knowing that Legolas had inherited Thranduil's legendary explosive fury, and that arguing with Legolas would get him nowhere.

"Legolas, I don't even really care. But Sakura is part of the Fellowship, and I will not have the strife between you two be the reason that we fail to destroy the Dark Lord's Ring."

"But – "

"I don't want to hear it, Legolas. You know that Sakura has returned home for a brief period. When she comes back to Imladris, I expect you to make amends."

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**Silver Isles: November 1****st****, 3018**

Sakura landed in front of the gates to the Silver Isles palace. "Name and reason for presence," ordered a deep voice in Feyish.

"Crown Princess Sakura, daughter of Titania, and I live here," Sakura replied, slightly amused.

A head popped up above the gate. "Oh, milady!" the guard cried, "forgive me, I did not expect that you would return so soon."

Sakura chuckled. "No worries, there is nothing to be forgiven." The gates swung open, revealing her beloved home. The walls of the palace were comprised entirely of moonstone so that the entire building emitted a pale glow in the nights. Huge, sprawling groves of cherry trees, Sakura's namesake, and flowery bushes covered the palace grounds, releasing a faint fragrance. Just as King Thranduil had a weakness for jewels, Queen Titania had a weakness for flowers. Fairies in vibrant _hanbok_s and leggings alike milled around the courtyard square. As Sakura fluttered down the path to the palace, the fairies around her began to sing, welcoming their princess home. Their voices were impossibly fair, for although the first love of fairies is the moon, music drew a close second. Sakura felt the tension of the past few days dissipate as the music of her people filled her ears once again. A soft smile made its way to her pink lips as she raised her voice to mingle with her people's. As she neared the palace, a tiny blur sprinted over to her and hugged her around the knees.

"Auntie Sakura!" cried a high pitched voice. Misty silver eyes stared up at Sakura as spiky black hair tied in messy pigtails stabbed Sakura in the leg. Sakura smiled down at her niece, her hand gently tousling her hair. A full lower lip wobbled precariously before the little feyling burst into tears.

"Ya Ya, don't cry," Sakura pleaded desperately, not entirely sure why her niece was sobbing her eyes out.

"I'm just so happy to see you," hiccupped the young fairy, brushing her tears away carelessly with a grubby hand. Sakura sighed and dabbed at the feyling's face with her handkerchief.

"YIN YA!" screeched an extremely frustrated voice.

"Little duck, did you run away from your mother again?" Sakura asked gently. Ya Ya's eyes widened even more as she dove under her aunt's skirts in an attempt to remain hidden from her mother. Sakura watched as her sister appeared around the corner, her hair mussed and her dress muddy.

"Sakura!" called her sister, shocked. Sakura grinned at her sister, who was staring at her Ya Ya- shaped skirts.

"Hello, Jang Mi. You wouldn't happen to be searching for a little duck, would you?" Sakura's skirts shivered in fear. Jang Mi played along.

"Why, Sakura, I was, but I just remembered that I have a delicious steaming pie at home that is just asking to be eaten."

Sakura feigned interest. "A pie, you say? What flavor is it?" Jang Mi smiled.

"It's blackberry. You know, I think that happens to be the little duck's favorite kind of pie. Maybe if she hadn't run away, she could have some after dinner." Sakura's skirts whimpered hungrily. "Well," continued Jang Mi, "I should be getting home now to that delicious pie."

Ya Ya couldn't stand it any longer and burst out of her aunt's skirts before leaping into her mother's arms. "I'msorryfornotmakingmybedmotherbutIpromiseIwillfo rtherestofeternityifyouletmehavesomepiepleasepleas epleasepleasemother!" she begged.

Jang Mi gazed at her daughter, amused. "Run back to the house, Ya Ya, and stay there, and then I will consider letting you have some pie after you finish dinner." Ya Ya nodded vigorously and sprinted off. Turning to her older sister, Jang Mi asked, "Why are you back so soon? After you left, Mother explained to us all that you had gone to aid Middle Earth in the battle against Sauron."

Sakura sighed quietly. "The rest of the Fellowship… I don't think they like me. I couldn't take it any longer, I had to come home before we left for Mordor." Jang Mi rubbed her back sympathetically.

"I'm sorry, sister, but I have to get home to my husband and Ya Ya."

Sakura hugged her sister quickly. "Well, I had better get on to the palace anyways. Mother probably wants a report of the events of Middle Earth."

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"Mother?" asked Sakura as she poked her head into her mother's study. Titania leapt to her feet.

"Sakura!" she exclaimed. "You are back much sooner than I expected. Did you choose not to accompany the Fellowship?" Her brow crinkled.

"I am joining the Fellowship," Sakura sighed, "but I need a break from them. They all seem to detest me, especially Legolas, and I still don't know why." Seeing her daughter in such a distressed state, Titania patted a chair next to her. Sakura slumped down into the chair and began her story.

"Oh, child," the fairy queen murmured when Sakura had finished. "There is nothing you can do but keep on trying to befriend them. Another problem is this language barrier. Since you do not speak Common Tongue, befriending the hobbits, the dwarf, or Boromir is not really possible. Why don't you request Common Tongue lessons?"

Sakura stared at her mother. "And who would teach me? Gandalf is dying on this quest, he may not be able to complete any lessons that he starts. Legolas and Aragorn both hate me, and Frodo only speaks a little bit of Elvish."

Titania returned her daughter's gaze sagely, a small smile playing around her lips. "Ask Legolas to teach you." The princess stared at her mother as if she had gone mad.

"I have somehow offended Legolas, or have you forgotten that he punched me because I mentioned that he was a prince?" Titania patted her daughter's arm.

"Trust me on this one," Titania insisted, "promise me that you will ask Legolas for Common Tongue lessons when you return."

Sakura sighed. "So be it."

**Yin Ya – Silver Duck (Chinese)**

**Jang Mi – Rose (Korean) **

**Hanbok – Korean dress**

**Hmmm… I wasn't too happy with this chapter. It didn't seem to want to come out. Well, as always, please read and review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize.**

**Bold – Elvish/Sindarin/Quenya/Noldorin**

**If you find this chapter slightly strange, my excuse is that I was really hungry when I wrote it. You probably have no idea what I'm talking about. Oh well. Anyways, thank you to all reviewers! **

Chapter 5

**Silver Isles: December 16****th****, 3018**

Sakura stood at the gates of the Silver Isles, looking back at her home. After staying in the palace with her family for nearly a month and a half, she felt rejuvenated but drained at the same time. Her visit had been joyful and jubilant, but an underlying current of desperation was tangible. Her family knew that this could possibly be the last time they would ever see her, and each moment of her stay had been packed with busy activities, as if the royal family was trying to squeeze every possible drop of happiness and memories from her visit. The eldest princess had already said her goodbyes to everyone. She sighed forlornly as she thought of her last moments with Ya Ya. No one had the heart to inform the young feyling that her favorite aunt may never return from this journey. The look of childish innocence in Ya Ya's face as she requested that her aunt please bring her a present back from Middle Earth nearly broke Sakura's heart. The fairy wanted nothing more than to stay in the Silver Isles where the Fellowship could not bring her back, but she knew that she had committed to the Quest and was now suffering from the doubts and repercussions that came along with it. Yet according to Titania, Sakura was to gain something from the Quest at all. When the younger fairy had gone to say farewell to her mother, the queen had cryptically told her with a silly smile, "You see only the shadow cast over Middle Earth. Yet on this quest, you will find the light to battle the shadow with. Light and shadow, Sakura. There is never one without the other." _I do believe Mother has been talking to Lady Galadriel a little too much_, Sakura thought with a frown, _she never used to be this cryptic_. Sighing heavily, she stared at the moonstone walls of the palace glowing in the moonlight for what very well could be the last time, her heart throbbing painfully.

**Imladris: December 16****th****, 3018**

Legolas closed his newly repaired chamber door and collapsed on the bed, exhausted from a long day of training and practicing for the Quest. According to Gandalf, the Fellowship was to leave sometime in the next fortnight. _And still that Eruforsaken woman has not returned_, he thought nastily. The hobbits were doing alright in their training, although Sam still seemed to only be proficient in using a frying pan in battle, which was slightly worrying. The dwarf was as smelly and rude as usual, and Boromir still wanted to take the Ring to Gondor. Forcing himself to sit up, Legolas tore his leaf-shaped shoes off his feet, tossing them into a corner, and tugged his shirt over his head. He groaned at the tightness of his aching muscles and carefully worked them loose. He was definitely going to be sore tomorrow. Crawling in between the silky sheets, he instantly fell asleep, his eyes falling closed, strangely enough.

_A female stood beside an enormous silver gate. One hand resting on the gate, the other falling limply by her side, she stared at the palace before here. The walls of the palace were comprised of a strange, milky white stone that reflected the moonlight. Trees covered with frothy pink and vibrant violet blossoms flooded the palace grounds. The woman's familiarly strange amethyst eyes shimmered mistily with unshed tears, her long lashes trembling. Her nose was narrow and straight, leading to full cherry-red lips. Glowing in the moonlight like the walls of the palace, here pale skin was smooth and nearly unblemished but for four silvery scars upon her jaw, the skin slightly raised, and the scars only about a month or two old. Her ebony hair covered the tips of her ears. Suddenly, the woman whipped around, her hand resting upon the hilt of one of the two curved blades hanging at her sides. Her eyes traveled around searchingly, confusion and terror evident._

Legolas awoke with a gasp. What a strange dream. He was no fool, he knew that was no ordinary dream, it had to be a vision of some sort. Why would the strange woman he had encountered by the tree been in his dream? He thought back to the scars upon her face which had not been there the last time he had seen her, and his gut bubbled with rage. If he ever met the one who had marred the woman's beautiful face, he would surely throttle them. Also, he had never seen a palace so elegant as the one in his dreams. As prince of Mirkwood, he would have thought he had been to just about every palace in Middle Earth, especially one as grand as that one. Little did he know, the reason he had not been there was because the palace was in fact, not located in Middle Earth.

**Silver Isles: December 16****th****, 3018**

Sakura struggled to keep her tears from overflowing. She wished to stay home so badly, but it was time to return. Taking a deep breath, she was about to slide her wings out when she felt a strange presence behind her. Whipping around, her hand on her crescent blade, her eyes searched the space before her. Nothing. The fairy sighed. _Nothing there_, she thought, _I must be getting paranoid from this whole Quest thing_. Nevertheless, she was secretly grateful that the double-pointed tips of her ears were hidden by her hair and that her wings were still inside her back. Taking one last glance at her home, she rose up into the air and flew in the opposite direction as the moon.

**Imladris: December 24****th****, 3018**

Gandalf was strolling with Legolas in one of the many gardens of Imladris. "I worry about the corruption of Saruman," Gandalf said grimly, "as the eyes and ears of the Fellowship, you must constantly be on watch, both on land and in the sky or water. And - **Sakura**!" cried Gandalf excitedly as he noticed a silvery shadow detach itself from its brethren. "**You're back! I was beginning to fret that you went home and decided to never come back**."

"Exactly what I was thinking," muttered Legolas under his breath.

"**You aren't getting rid of me that easily**," the fairy replied. Gandalf's eyes twinkled excitedly.

"**You must tell me what is happening in **–" Gandalf paused as he realized that Legolas was still there. **"- in your family. How is everybody doing**?" Sakura was silent for a moment, as if debating whether or not to say something.

"**If you do not mind, Gandalf, I would like to ask Legolas something first**." Gandalf stared at the fairy, confused.

"**'Tis fine with me**," the Istari said.

"**What do you want**?" Legolas asked rudely. Gandalf nudged him sharply.

"**He means, what would you like to ask him**?" Gandalf corrected.

"**I am most apologetic if I have somehow offended you**," the princess began, who did sound quite sincere, "**but I was hoping we could get past that and become friends. And since friends help each other, seeing as how I do not understand the Common Tongue and you do, could you –**"

"**Teach you? Of course he will. Right, Legolas**?" interrupted Gandalf, his weathered old hand clutching the prince's shoulder painfully. The wood-elf squirmed.

"**Um…**"

"**Aha, so he will! Excellent, why don't you two start tomorrow morning before we set out**?" Gandalf the Interfering Wizard suggested. Legolas groaned.

"**But –** "

"**No but's, Thranduilion**." The prince sighed.

"**I suppose I shall meet you out here in the morning then**," he told her. Sakura cheered and clapped her hands together happily, and Legolas couldn't help but chuckle at the childish display before he realized what he was doing and stopped. An awkward silence ensued. Legolas cleared his throat. "**Good night**," he murmured, and slipped back to his rooms.

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Sakura lay stretched out upon her bed, smiling. _Mother was actually correct_, she thought amazedly, _who would have thought that Legolas of all people would agree to teach me, even if Gandalf did meddle more than less_? Closing her eyes, she fell into a dream where she was accepted and loved in the Fellowship.

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**Imladris: December 25****th****, 3018**

Sakura awoke to the sounds of birds chirping cheerily in the tree beside her window. Yawning and sitting up, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She slowly pulled on her leggings, tunic, and cloak, and swung by the kitchen to pick up the basket she had requested the previous night.

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Legolas was not in a good mood. The cook had just informed him that the kitchen was not running until later, so Legolas would not get his breakfast until after the lesson with Sakura. He wished sadly that he had taken some of last night's supper with him to feed his stomach, which had only ever been outeaten by the hobbits. In Mirkwood, he was not only known as the prince of the realm but also affectionately referred to as the prince of gluttony. "You are not hungry," he told himself sternly. "You just ate an enormous breakfast. You are not hungry." Pulling on a random pair of leggings and a tunic, he threw the door open and stalked down the path to the gardens. _Sakura seems to be doing more damage than she is preventing_**,** he complained internally as his stomach, which seemed to have a mind of its own, rumbled hungrily. As he walked into the garden where Sakura was waiting, he suddenly froze and his nostrils flared as his back straightened.

"**Lady Sakura, did you do this**?" he asked, not realizing that this was the first time he had ever addressed her as a lady. Sakura nodded wordlessly, and Legolas leapt forward. "**I LOVE YOU**!" he shouted. The fairy giggled. She was sitting in the middle of the largest spread of food Legolas had ever seen. Steaming buns beckoned him forward enticingly, while ripe summer fruits pulled him in the opposite direction. Pitchers of water, milk, tea, cordial, and just about any beverage he could think of graced the banquet, cool and refreshing. A platter of eggs sat here, a house of bacon there, and dozens of pastries were strewn about. In other words, it was Legolas' personal heaven. His mouth watering, he joined Sakura on the blanket she had brought with her.

"**I thought you might be hungry, and the kitchens are closed in the mornings, and my mother always did say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach**," she explained. Legolas suspiciously turned his head towards Sakura.

"**So is that how you have Gandalf trusting you so**?" he asked, remembering that he was supposed to detest her, not shout that he loved her to the whole of Imladris. Sakura didn't seem to notice the menacing undertone of his voice, or if she did, she didn't comment on it.

"**Gandalf seems to be immune to the vast powers of food**. **When I want something from him I actually have to have a reason**," she joked. Legolas turned back to the food, salivating and therefore forgetting his supposed dislike of her yet again.

"**Did you bring all this food for me? I may be the prince of gluttony, but I don't think even three of me could finish this**," the elf fretted. Sakura chuckled.

"**Oh, no. I'm eating too. You may be the prince of gluttony, but in my country they call me a **_**shikshin**_**, a food goddess**," the princess revealed.

"**Your country**?" asked Legolas, "**where do you come from**?" Sakura froze. _Fool!_ she cursed herself, _well, this question was bound to come up sometime. He knows you're a princess, of course he would ask you which nation you rule_.

"**Fly towards the moon for a week or so, then maybe you'll find out**," she suggested humorously but truthfully. Legolas' face scrunched up in confusion, a pastry bulging in each cheek. "**Well, are we going to start lessons or are we going to eat all day**?" she asked quickly, hoping that he wasn't as good at smelling distractions as Lord Elrond was. Luckily for Sakura, Legolas had not yet raised three children and learned how to cheat the science of distractions.

"**Of course, we can start right away**." Legolas pulled out a thick pad of paper and began to write the different letters of Common Tongue. Sakura stuffed one last cream puff into her mouth and threw herself down beside him to watch. The rest of the lesson went smoothly, and Legolas found Sakura to be a quick learner and a friendly person. He began to wonder why she would become a prostitute if she was so clever. As the lesson concluded and his student began to pack away the papers she had been practicing on, Legolas stopped her.

"**May I ask you a question**?" he asked. Sakura stared at him blankly.

"**Yes, of course**," she replied, confused. Legolas paused.

"**You are an intelligent woman. Why did you not choose to be a healer or an ambassador instead of what you are**?" he blurted before he could lose the nerve to ask her. Sakura decided to proceed cautiously, remembering how he had exploded last time they had discussed her job.

"**I suppose it is because I was born into it**," she replied, looking uncomfortable, "**and in this type of business it is more difficult to get out of the job than into it." **Legolas picked up a pear and chewed, needing to occupy his mouth somehow as he was unsure of what to say. Assuming that he did not appreciate discussing being a royal, the fairy decided to change the subject. "**Can we not talk about my job**?" she requested awkwardly.

"**Of course**," said Legolas, "well then until later, milady," he said slowly in Common.

"Farewell, milord," she pronounced carefully, clapping her hands delightedly once again when she got it correct. Legolas smiled at her as she left the garden. _Perhaps she is not as bad as I thought_, he decided as he walked towards his rooms, _she says that she was born into being a woman of the night. If she was forced into the occupation, I should not treat her like I have been for something she has no control over._

In a land far away and closer to the moon, a fairy queen smiled. "So it begins."

**OK, so I will try to update as soon as possible. Dreading the return of school :'( In the meanwhile, please read and review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize. **

**This chapter is for you, shadowkitten11. I know it's really short (1256 words long), but it's the only way I could update today. Also, I don't have a beta, so please tell me if you find any errors. Enjoy!**

Chapter 6

**Imladris: Evening of December 25****th****, 3018**

The sun was sinking into the horizon, painting the sky violet and crimson, hints of blackness creeping in at the edges. The Fellowship stood before Lord Elrond. Sakura watched as Aragorn stared longingly at Arwen, whose eyes were filled with glossy tears. Even Merry and Pippin were feeling the gravity of this moment and stood clustered beside Frodo silently. Legolas seemed to be savoring his last moments among his people, while Boromir shifted uncomfortably under the keen gaze of the elf lord. "The Ringbearer is setting out on the quest of Mount Doom, and you who travel with him, no oath nor bond is laid to go further than you will. Farewell!" cried Elrond, "Hold to your purpose and may the blessing of elves, and Men, and all free folk go with you."

"The Fellowship awaits the Ringbearer," said Gandalf, startling everyone from their respective reveries. Frodo hesitantly walked to the exit of Imladris.

"Mordor, Gandalf, is it left or right?" he asked.

"Left," answered Gandalf. The Fellowship stood still for a moment, absorbing the last time they would truly feel safe. Sakura brushed her hand against the tree she had initially crash-landed in as she passed by, wishing it goodbye silently. A tremor of fear tingled through her spine as she wondered rather morbidly if she would ever see the tree again. As if sensing her doubt, Legolas nodded reassuringly at her. Sakura smiled gratefully at him before remembering that he couldn't see her face.

Aragorn watched from the side, his lips curling into a sneer. _How did she manage to entrap Legolas in her web of lies?_ the heir of Gondor wondered. For as long as Aragorn had known the prince of Mirkwood, he had never known him to be one to associate himself with prostitutes. Glancing lovingly back at Arwen, Aragorn sighed heavily as the Fellowship began to move out and smiled bittersweetly at the love of his life one last time, his fingers unconsciously caressing her necklace. Bowing his head, his feet shuffled forward reluctantly.

Sakura noticed Aragorn lingering, his eyes filled with agony, and reached over, squeezing his shoulder sympathetically. Aragorn flinched and shook her hand from his shoulder, his stony eyes icily glaring at her. The princess stepped back, shocked. _And I thought I was making progress_, she sighed internally. Moving back to join the rest of the Fellowship, she continued on with a heavy heart.

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**Eregion: January 8, 3019**

"We must hold this course west of the Misty Mountains for 40 days. If our luck holds, the Gap of Rohan will still be open to us. There, our road turns east to Mordor," Gandalf called to his companions. Sakura sat on a rock behind the wizard, rubbing her aching feet. The Fellowship had been walking nigh on two weeks now, and her legs were not accustomed to constantly walking. _I don't know how these land-bound creatures do it, _she grumbled in her head. Legolas chuckled at her side, watching her obviously irritated posture in amusement. The elf had continued working with Sakura on Common Tongue every day, and she could now carry a basic conversation with only occasional slips, which pleased him to no end. Sakura's slightly childish and innocent personality had gradually warmed him to her, and he now considered her a casual friend. However, Aragorn was still as cold as ever towards the prostitute, even after Legolas had explained that she had not chosen her lifestyle. The future king of Gondor was currently watching Boromir as he sparred with Pippin.

"Good, very good," complimented Boromir.

"Move your feet," grunted Aragorn in turn as he puffed on his pipe. Merry looked up.

"You look good, Pippin," he commented, shocked.

"Thanks," replied Pippin proudly. Gimli sat hunched upon a flat rock.

"If anyone was to ask for my opinion, which I note that they're not, I'd say that we were taking the long way 'round. Gandalf, we could pass through the Mines of Moria. My cousin Balin would give us a royal welcome," the dwarf boasted, shooting a glance at Legolas to see if he had heard. Legolas stared pointedly at the sky, pretending to be scouting.

"No Gimli, I would not take the road through Moria unless I had no other choice," warned Gandalf, a touch of fear lining his voice. Sakura gasped and her eyes filled with tears. _So it will happen in Moria_, she realized sadly, _Gandalf the Gray shall fall, and the hopes of the free folk of Middle Earth with him. _Turning back to Legolas, she watched as his eyes narrowed, focusing upon a dusty cloud in the sky. Her eyes began to follow his gaze before she was distracted by a commotion behind her.

"ARG!" cried Pippin in a high-pitched voice.

"Sorry!" yelped Boromir apologetically. A loud oomph and the muffled sound of a hairy hobbit foot crashing into the shins of a full grown man filled the air.

"Get him!" cried Merry as he thrashed around.

"For the Shire! Hold him, hold him down Merry," Pippin screeched back. Aragorn stood up and grabbed hold of the hobbits.

"Gentlemen, that's enough," he reprimanded, his tone stern but his eyes dancing with mirth. The 'gentlemen' then proceeded to exchange a glance before body-slamming Aragorn down into the dirt with them.

"You've got my arm. AAH! You've got my arm!" yowled Pippin. Sam stood up from his perch beside Frodo and pointed at the cloud that Legolas was staring at.

"What is that?"

"Nothing, it's just a wisp of cloud," Gimli dismissed. Boromir glanced up from his sparring match.

"It's moving fast, and against the wind," he warned, panic rising in his voice. Legolas' eyes finally focused on the cloud.

"**Crebain** from Dunland!" he cried. The Fellowship sprinted around madly, dousing the fire and hoisting bags onto their back before crawling under plants. Sakura nimbly made her way into a hollow in a bush and pressed herself flat. Peeking out under her bush, she noticed a pair of elven feet frantically treading around, trying to find a hiding space. Darting out a hand, the princess snagged an ankle and dragged a yelping blonde prince into the hollow with. Pressing a finger to his lips, she sat cross-legged upon his chest as the flutter of wings filled the air and the harsh screeches of the crows stung her ears. _No creature that is gifted with the ability to fly should turn to evil_, she raged silently as the birds circled overhead, collecting information to report to Saruman. Sakura could see the terror pulsating in Legolas' eyes as his hand grabbed hers. She gently stroked his palm, trying to reassure him with her touch. He clutched onto her gratefully, his deep cerulean eyes boring into hers. After several minutes, the crows finally flew off, and Sakura breathed out a deep sigh of relief. Beginning to shimmy out from under the bush, the princess yelped as a thorny branch hooked upon her hood. The thorns yanked the cloth backwards, ripping the fairy's hood from her head, revealing her face to an extremely shocked elven prince.

**I'm sorry, I know it's a cliffhanger, but I couldn't resist! Please, please, please, read and review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize.**

**Bold: Elvish/Sindarin/Quenya/Noldorin**

**Muahaha, yes, I am evil for leaving you all with a cliffhanger last chapter.**

Chapter 7

**Eregion: January 8, 3019**

Sakura stumbled backwards, tearing her hood off of the thorn and setting it back on her head. Yet it was too late, the damage had already been done. Legolas' eyes were bubbling with confusion and pain. "**Sakura, what is going on? What -"** he began to ask, a warning evident in his low tone for her to quickly tell the truth.

"**Legolas? Sakura**?" cried a voice followed by several rustles. Sakura sighed heavily. Oh, how she wished to tell Legolas everything, but she could not reveal to him of the existence of fairies.

"**I shall tell you everything later when we are alone, but Gandalf is searching for us right now**," she promised, knowing in the back of her mind that she could not, in fact, tell him everything. Legolas' expressive blue eyes hardened into chips of ice as he nodded stiffly. Sakura winced. He had not shown such coldness to her since the strange day at the archery field. The pair crawled out from under the thorny bush as Gandalf breathed out a sigh of relief.

"**There you two are! I was starting to wonder if you had leapt upon one of those crows and flown away**!" he joked wryly. Sakura forced a smile onto her face while Legolas didn't even bother, still boring holes into her back with those eyes. Examining the suddenly frigid space between the pair, the wizard frowned, then continued for the entire Fellowship to hear, "The passage south is being watched. We must take the Pass of Caradhras."

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**Caradhras: January 11, 3019**

Sakura sighed deeply. Oh, how she hated snow. It had never snowed in the Silver Isles, and she was unused to such extreme cold. Her cloak was light and the cruel fingers of ice and frost easily penetrated through it. Clutching the cloak tighter around her nevertheless, she shivered and forced her frozen blocks of feet forward.

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Legolas stared at Sakura from his perch on top of the snow. Her entire form was shuddering violently, and her movements were stiff unlike the smooth motions she usually moved with. _Where does she come from that she does not know to pack thicker clothes if she feels the cold?_ he wondered. _And why did I dream of her? Also, why does she cover her face if the only disfigurations she has are the scars I gave her?_ Remembering the scratches marring Sakura's smooth skin, he felt guilt burn his heart, but ignored it for the questions buzzing around in his head. _And why did I see her staring at a palace as if it was her childhood home?_ Nothing made sense anymore. Yet what hurt the most was that Sakura had never trusted him enough to disclose any of this information before. How could he believe her that she would tell him later? The prince was startled from his thoughts as the Ringbearer cried out and stumbled, rolling down the icy mountain. "Frodo!" cried Aragorn, hauling the dark-haired hobbit to his feet. Frodo clawed around his neck, panicking when the Ring was nowhere to be found. Spinning around in place, he breathed out in relief as he noticed it lying on the snow a few feet away, glinting innocently. Boromir's eyes were drawn to the golden Ring, his hand moving down and grabbing it by its chain. "Boromir," warned the other Man of the company.

"It is a strange fate we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing. Such a little thing," the steward-prince breathed, his eyes clouding over with madness and yearning.

"Boromir! Give the Ring to Frodo," Aragorn ordered firmly, his hand upon the hilt of his sword. Boromir twitched and slowly walked over to the Ringbearer, tossing it carelessly at Frodo, who clutched onto it right away.

"As you wish. I care not," the devout Gondorian laughed nervously, roughly ruffling Frodo's hair. Sakura glanced away sadly. She knew that in his heart, Boromir was a good and honorable man, but the Ring's overwhelming power had twisted Boromir's loyalties to his nation into darkness. Turning away from Frodo and Boromir, she struggled on.

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**Caradhras: January 12, 3019**

In the past few hours, the height and coldness of the snow had greatly increased, and Sakura now felt that she was swimming instead of walking. Her muscles ached and her wings were starting to complain from not having been used for a while. Yet her insides were bubbling jubilantly as she remembered her dream from the previous night.

"_Father?" she asked in disbelief. A tall, dark-haired fairy stood and opened his arms to her as she sprinted over, squeezing his middle tightly. Laughing, Oberon patted his daughter's head gently. "Oh father, why are you here?" Sakura asked._

"_Your mother wanted to visit, but she was quite busy ruling a nation and all," replied her father casually. "When I see how much paperwork she has, I feel glad that the right to rule is passed from mother to daughter instead of from father to son in the Silver Isles," he confided. Sakura smacked him._

"_That is terrible, father," she admonished, chuckling lightly. Her father chortled along for a moment before his face sobered._

"_But really Sakura, I am here for a reason. I have heard that you were finding it difficult to keep the secret of the fairies while remaining on good terms with a certain member of the Fellowship," he began. Sakura sighed, expecting her father to tell her that maintaining the secret of her kind was more important than a social life. "And usually I would tell you to ignore others and continue on keeping our secret, but this time, I do believe it to be different." The fairy princess immediately perked up._

"_Are you telling me that I can tell Lego-"_

"_Let me finish, daughter," said the king sternly, "The fairies have been hiding from the occupants of Middle Earth for millennia because we do not believe in meddling with the events of Men, dwarves, elves, and hobbits. Yet this recent development involving Sauron is more serious than anything we have ignored in the last few thousand years, and we have already set certain events into motion just by sending you to Arda. Your mother and I have discussed this with our people, and we all agree that it is time for the fairies to return to Middle Earth." Sakura squealed with excitement as Oberon winced and covered his ears._

"_Thank you, thank you, thank you, father!" she cried._

"_Now it is not as if we are moving the kingdom to Middle Earth," the king added, "we are only making our existence known and reforming some alliances." Sakura ignored him and danced circles around him joyfully, her heart bubbly and light for the first time in weeks. Suddenly, her father's figure started to shrink, moving backwards._

"_Father?" she asked, frightened._

"_I must go now, daughter," Oberon called back, his voice fading slowly. "I am waking up." As Sakura began to awaken herself, she also felt herself shrinking and fading._

The princess smiled cheerfully, almost stumbling over a thick chunk of ice as she remembered her dream. Suddenly, a deceptively melodious voice pierced the air. "**Wake up cruel Redhorn! May your horn be stained with blood**!"

"There is a fell voice on the air," warned Legolas to those behind him.

"It's Saruman!" exclaimed Gandalf. A huge eruption of snow and rocks fell over the mountain as the Fellowship pressed their bodies to the mountainside, narrowly escaping being crushed underneath the avalanche.

"He's trying to bring down the mountain! Gandalf, we must turn back," Aragorn reasoned desperately.

"No!" cried Gandalf stubbornly, "**Sleep Caradhras, be still, lie still, hold your wrath**!" Yet even the power of Gandalf could not defy the White Wizard.

"**Awaken, cruel Redhorn, may your bloodstained horn fall upon enemy heads**!" A second avalanche rumbled from the mountain, and this time it buried the Fellowship in snow, ice, and frighteningly lethal chunks of stone. Sakura panted as she used the last of her energy to propel herself up and through the thick layer of snow, carefully avoiding the sharp spikes of rock. She lay gasping on the snow, and by the time she had recovered, the rest of the Fellowship was already discussing what to do next.

"We must get off the mountain! Make for the Gap of Rohan and take the west road to my city!" Boromir shouted over the howling wind.

"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard," protested Aragorn. Now Gimli stood.

"If we cannot pass over a mountain, let us go under it. Let us go through the Mines of Moria." Sakura nearly fainted at the dwarf's words.

"NO!" she screeched in lightly accented Common, "Let us NOT go through the Mines of Moria!" The rest of the Fellowship turned and stared at her, for Sakura rarely spoke to the group as a whole, and when she did, she usually spoke in Elvish. Gandalf caught the fairy's eye and shook his head imperceptibly, his gray eyes wretched. He had accepted his death.

"Let the Ringbearer decide," the Istari proclaimed wearily.

"We cannot stay here! This will be the death of the hobbits," Boromir warned.

"Frodo?" asked Gandalf. The young hobbit paused, his wide blue eyes conflicted.

"We will go through the mines," he said, voice trembling. Gandalf looked as if the hobbit had delivered his death sentence, which in fact he had.

"So be it," he stated. Sakura glanced around and suddenly paused, her eyes widening.

"Where is Legolas?" she asked fearfully.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

**January 13, 3019**

Sakura's arms and back ached. She had been carrying Legolas' limp body for the last day and a half. His head had been struck by a rock, and he had yet to regain consciousness. As Legolas, who was remarkably heavy considering he could walk upon snow, slipped from the fairy's narrow shoulders yet again, Sakura squeaked and grabbed his arms, hauling him back onto her. Picking her way across razor-sharp rocks carefully, she looked up and stopped dead. "The walls of Moria," breathed Gimli in awe. The walls were massive, stretching up into the fog. "Dwarf doors are invisible when closed," Gimli informed the Fellowship, clearly proud of the work of his kin.

"Yes Gimli, their own masters cannot find them if their secrets are forgotten," confirmed Gandalf.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" mumbled a drowsy voice on Sakura's back. The fairy gasped and gently set her passenger down on a flat rock.

"**Legolas**!" she cried happily, "**You're awake**!" Legolas peered at her.

"**Yes**," he said slowly, "**I suppose I am**." Sakura's silly grin dropped off her face at his cold tone. _I just carried him for almost two days_, she steamed inwardly, _the least he could do is say thank you. What a prince he is!_

"Well, let's see. Ithildin. It mirrors only starlight and moonlight," mused Gandalf, running his fingers over the solid stone. The moon slowly came out from its hiding place behind a cloud. _Ithildin_, thought Sakura, _is that what they call moonstone here?_ "It reads, 'The doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter.'"

"What do you suppose that means?" asked Merry, puzzled.

"Oh it's quite simple. If you are a friend, you speak the password and the doors will open," replied Gandalf nonchalantly. "Annon Edhellen edro hi amen! Fennas Nogothrim lasto beth lammen!" he cried impressively, throwing his arms wide and pushing his chest out.

"Nothing's happening," Pippin observed. Gandalf turned and glared at the foolish hobbit before chanting spell after spell. Still nothing happened.

"I once knew every spell in all the tongues of the elves, Men, and orcs," groused Gandalf.

"What are you going to do then?" asked Pippin innocently. Sakura winced. Poking a sleeping bear would be much safer than irritating a grouchy Gandalf.

"Knock your head against these doors, Peregrin Took! And if that does not shatter them and I am allowed a little peace from foolish questions I will try to find the opening words!" raged Gandalf in return. Sighing, Sakura plopped herself down onto a rock, knowing that it could be a while. She knew there was no use in trying to talk to Legolas when he was in such a mood, and decided to wait until he had warmed to her at least a little. Hours passed. Bill the pony took his leave of the company, and Merry and Pippin amused themselves by tossing rocks into the water. Gandalf hurled his staff to the ground. "Oh, it's useless," he moaned. Frodo looked up from where he had been silently brooding.

"It's a riddle. Speak 'friend' and enter. What's the Elvish word for friend?" he asked.

"Mellon," intoned Gandalf, and with a mighty groan, the doors drew themselves apart for the Fellowship. Gimli chortled maniacally.

"Soon, master elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the dwarves. Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off of the bone. This, my friend, is the home of my cousin Balin. And they call it a mine. A mine!" The dwarf's eyes were alight with delight as he imagined impressing and shaming the elf. Boromir glanced around, his nostrils flaring at the foul air.

"This is no mine. It's a tomb!" he cried as the light of his torch fell upon a rotting skeleton.

"Oh, no. NOOO!" wailed Gimli. Legolas yanked an arrow from the skeleton and examined it carefully.

"Goblins," he cursed. The Fellowship drew their weapons, Sam looking rather out of place with a frying pan in his hand.

"We make for the Gap of Rohan," ordered Boromir, "We should never have come here! Now get out! Get out!" The Fellowship dashed for the exit. Suddenly, Sakura halted. She could have sworn she saw the water ripple.

"Wait," she called brokenly, but she was too late. A slimy tentacle lashed out and wrapped itself around Frodo as the young hobbit screeched for help. Sam sliced a tentacle off, and the Watcher bellowed and dropped Frodo, retreating below the frothy waves. The Fellowship breathed a collective sigh of relief. Frodo began to wade out of the dirty water when a dozen more tentacles shot out of the water, capturing Frodo again.

"AAAAAHHHH!" screamed Frodo.

"Aragorn!" called Merry desperately. Legolas fired arrows at the tentacles as the Men drew their swords and rushed out of the Mines, slicing and chopping madly. Sakura narrowed her eyes and drew her crescent knives. Each one of the knives had a long chain attached to the handle that was tied tightly to her waist. Carefully swinging them above her head like twin lassos, she shot them out in an arc as they sliced through half of the tentacles, severing them and filling the air with inky jets of vile blood. Pulling her knives back to her side, the fairy yanked another two knives from her boots and hurled them straight into the Watcher's maw as it screeched in pain and fury. Boromir finally managed to cut Frodo free, and the Fellowship drew back towards the door.

"Into the Mines!" called Gandalf.

"Legolas!" shouted Boromir. The Mirkwood elf fired a deadly arrow into the Watcher's eye, and the Fellowship retreated into the Mines. The Watcher yowled in fury and flung itself onto the gates, crushing the rocks and collapsing the doors. A blanket of blackness threw itself over the company before Gandalf lit an orb upon his staff, the light aging his world-weary face.

"We now have but one choice," uttered Gandalf, "We must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard. There are older and fouler things than orcs in the deep places of the world."

**Alright, the Fellowship is in Moria! The next chapter will be Moria and Lothlorien, and don't the worry, the huge revelation is currently in the works. It might be a bit before I update, though, weekends make it nearly impossible for me to update, and school is starting soon. In the meantime, read and please review! If you are a silent reader, please please please click the pretty review button! I promise it'll make me update faster!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize.**

**Bold: Elvish/Sindarin/Quenya/Noldorin**

**Hey, I'm finally back! Yes, I realize how long that delay was. I'm really really really sorry! But hopefully this chapter makes up for it. And wow, I just realized that I have been forgetting to reply to the reviews lately, so from now on, I will try to remember. Sorry about that!**

**Jessie – I'm glad you like it. Thanks for reviewing!**

**Kadee son 12345 – I'm truly typing as fast as I can!**

**Rorythedragon – Well… I promise it'll be soon! Not quite yet, but soon!**

Chapter 8

**Moria: January 15, 3019**

Sakura gulped. She detested being away from the moon, and she knew that Legolas must be facing a similar problem, being an Elf. It had been days since she had last felt the moon upon her skin, and she already felt weaker and unhealthy. Yet she was glad that if she had to be stuck in a creepy mine full of dead dwarves, at least it was a mithril mine. The silver sheen of mithril reminded her of the glow of moonstone walls at night, and she knew that it was because of the mithril that she was not in the same condition as Legolas. Already slightly weaker from his accident on Caradhras, Legolas was having a hard time journeying without the heat of the sun or the smell of green leaves. The wood-elf had always been pale, but now he was pasty and covered with a layer of sweat. His breathing was irregular and shallow, and his eyes flickered around nervously. Even his hair, which was usually glowing like flaxen silk, had been reduced to a dull, unhealthy yellow. Sakura reached over and grabbed hold of his hand, gently squeezing it to let him know that she was there. Legolas looked up hesitantly before glancing away, but he left his hand in hers, which she took as a good sign. For the last two days, the fairy had been attempting to get Legolas to warm up to her, and his frozen eyes were finally starting to thaw out.

Suddenly, Gandalf stopped at a crossroad, eyeing each path carefully. "I have no memory of this place," he sighed, frustrated. The wizard had become crabbier and crabbier as his imminent death loomed closer. Plopping himself down on a rock, he glared at the crossroads.

"Are we lost?" asked Pippin.

"No," replied Merry, sounding rather unsure himself.

"Well, I think we are," defied Pippin.

"Hush! Gandalf is thinking," Sam scolded. There was a brief pause.

"Merry?"

"What?"

"I'm hungry," whimpered Pippin. Sakura groaned. She had a feeling that it would be a while. Glancing back at Legolas who did not look happy at the delay, she motioned him over.

"Legolas, we have not had a Common Tongue lesson in days. Why don't we hold one while we wait?" she suggested, wanting to provide a distraction. Legolas hesitated, and then nodded wordlessly before folding his long legs beneath him and pulling out paper from his pack.

The pair worked busily for a half hour. Legolas' mood lightened considerably as he watched his student crouched over the paper, tracing the runes of Common Tongue with a finger. He was still unhappy and confused about her unwillingness to reveal her true identity, but at the moment he honestly didn't care anymore. The female was a distraction from the dark depths of Moria, and quite the welcome one. As Sakura mastered the word 'jellybean' (A/N: Yes, I know they probably didn't have jellybeans but I don't care), she turned to the elf and clapped merrily, her eyes visibly glowing violet in the dark of the mine, a now routine occurrence whenever she added a new word to her vocabulary. Her teacher grinned at her, his first real smile in days. Legolas' blue eyes started to fog over as he remembered the fey face underneath her hood, and for some reason, he felt proud that he was the only member of the Fellowship, other than perhaps Gandalf, to have seen her face. _I have the gift of having gazed upon the fairness of her face, and only I shall keep that gift_, he thought possessively, before stopping that train of thought. _The fairness of her face? What am I thinking? It must be this mine, it is driving me mad!_ Suddenly, Gandalf stood. "Ah! It's that way!" the wizard cried triumphantly, pointing to the left.

"He's remembered!" celebrated Merry.

"No, but the air doesn't smell so foul down here. If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose," advised Gandalf. Legolas peered down the passage, which was rather narrow and immediately turned white, clenching his fist so tightly the bones showed through his translucent skin. Sakura looked upon his terrified face with pity, and enveloped his neck with her arms in a comforting embrace. The elf stiffened with surprise for a second and the fairy's heart dropped. But after a moment, he relaxed and returned the hug, hands wrapping around her tiny waist as Sakura smiled, reveling in the delicious feel of his hard body against hers. Aragorn stared at the scene uncomfortably, not happy that Legolas was once more friends with Sakura, and turned around grumpily, stalking down the path. Releasing the wood-elf, Sakura grabbed hold of Legolas' hand and pulled him gently into the passage.

"**Are you frightened, Legolas**?" she asked quietly.

"**I do not like small spaces**," he replied, "**I once accidentally locked myself into a broom closet when I was younger, and ever since, I have not loved tight spaces or the dark**." Gazing at his ashamed face, Sakura smiled.

"**It is alright to be scared, Legolas**," she told him, "**we are all fearful of something**."

"**What are you afraid of**?" he asked curiously. Sakura gulped. Now was not the time to tell him. Luckily, Gandalf interrupted.

"Let me risk a little more light," he said, illuminating the open space before them. The entire Fellowship was struck with awe. Slim stone pillars arched up gracefully, their surfaces smooth and unblemished. The ceiling was so high that Sakura wondered how the dwarves had even managed to carve pillars so high without slipping and falling to their deaths. "Behold! The great realm and dwarf-city of Dwarrowdelf," Gandalf narrated.

"Now there's an eye opener, and no mistake," breathed Sam. The company ambled through the hall, occasionally pausing to stare at a particularly aesthetically pleasing pillar. Gimli had a pleased smirk plastered to his scruffy lips when he suddenly noticed sunlight streaming into a room.

"Oh!" he cried, hurrying over on his short legs.

"Gimli!" exclaimed Gandalf, beginning to follow the dwarf, who was now kneeling by a coffin in the room.

"No! Oh, no. NOOO!" Gimli bawled, his helmeted head falling onto the tomb.

"'Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria,'" Gandalf read, "He is dead then. 'Tis as I feared." The Istari placed his beloved hat and staff into the care of Pippin, lowering his head in respect for a moment. As he stared at the floor, he noticed a crumbling book on the ground and picked it up. Legolas shifted around uncomfortably, staring longingly at the single ray of sunshine.

"We must move on, we cannot linger," he hissed. Gandalf ignored him, opening the book and beginning to read.

"'They have taken the bridge, and the second hall. We have barred the gates, but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums, drums in the deep. We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out. They are coming.'" Pippin was no longer paying attention, and curiously inspected a corpse sitting by a well. Yanking on the arrow, he grinned for a moment before the entire armored corpse fell down the well, clanging and ringing all the way down. The entire Fellowship turned to the frightened hobbit and froze, fearing that something dark had been alerted to their presence. For a tense moment, they waited, but silence reigned. The company relaxed as Gandalf turned on Pippin. "Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!" he bellowed harshly. Pippin looked like a beaten puppy as Gandalf snatched his hat and staff back lest the Took throw it down the well as well. Sakura winced sympathetically for the clumsy hobbit. Suddenly, Legolas froze as his sensitive ears picked up on something. Drums pounded from somewhere below them. Frodo drew Sting, which was glowing blue. Legolas shuddered silently.

"Orcs," he hissed. Boromir sprinted to bar the door and poked his head around the corner, only to withdraw it quickly as arrows whizzed past his head.

"They have a cave troll," he stated sarcastically, slamming the door shut and catching the axes that Legolas threw to him. Aragorn ushered the hobbits behind him towards Gandalf, and slammed more poles across the door. Sakura drew her knives, fingering their silvery chains. Meanwhile, Gimli was standing atop Balin's coffin, bellowing with all the air his small lungs could provide.

"Let them come! There is one dwarf left in Moria who still draws breath." His face was turning purple with the effort. The doors shuddered, and Aragorn and Legolas readied their bows, pointing them at the door. A hole smashed into the doors, an orc's eye peering through it. Legolas released an arrow, and the eye screeched and disappeared. Sakura marveled silently at his strength and accuracy. While she was an excellent warrior with her knives, her skills with a bow and a single sword were less than perfunctory. The doors shook again, but this time they did not hold. A mammoth cave troll smashed its way in ungracefully. A horrifyingly lumpy grey creature with a broken chain wrapped around its neck, the troll roared furiously, swinging its arms around, a spiked club in its hand. Sakura swayed with fear, her sharp eyes spotting that the club was of iron, which could severely burn her even if it barely grazed her skin. Clenching her silver knives harder, she wiped the fear from her mind with much difficulty and set herself into battle mentality. Beside her, Legolas readied and arrow and shot it straight into the troll's chest. It turned and peered at him, annoyed, before turning its attention to Sam.

"RRRAAAAWWWWRRR!" growled the troll, raising its club to obliterate Sam. The portly hobbit dashed through its legs as the troll spun around, a lumbering, cumbersome ballerina. Taking advantage of the monster's momentary distraction, Boromir and Aragorn grabbed hold of the chain and pulled with all their strength. Sakura had stopped in the midst of battle to stare at the courageous Men. She was then abruptly reminded to never pause in a fight when an orc with a rusty, hooked scimitar charged at her. The princess nimbly dodged the orc and beheaded it before it could turn. Twirling around in a circle, she allowed her knives to fly out in an arc, cutting through any creature unfortunate enough to be within her reach. Black blood flew through the air, following her knives and splattering the ground. Momentarily relieved of any immediate enemies, Sakura turned to look for her companions. The occasional hollow clunk assured her that Sam was doing just fine with his frying pan, and Merry and Pippin were stabbing at the troll from above. Suddenly, a cry of agony rang out, and the fairy turned slowly and closed her eyes, nauseated. Frodo lay upon his front, an enormous, bloody spear by his side. His eyes were wide with fear and pain, and his pale skin seemed to have been drained of any remaining color. Sakura attacked the orcs and troll with renewed vigor, swinging her knives with all the strength she possessed, and then some. All of a sudden, a low groan reverberated through the stone chamber, and she watched in awe as the cave troll moaned and fell to its knees, its dull eyes beginning to gloss over in death, Legolas' arrow still embedded in its mouth. Aragorn beheaded the last orc with a quick swipe, and the Fellowship hurried over to Frodo's side as the princess fell to her knees in disbelief. Would the 33-year-old hobbit be the first of the Fellowship to leave for the Halls of Mandos?

"Oh no," moaned Aragorn, gently flipping the ringbearer over. To everyone's great surprise, the blue-eyed hobbit groaned quietly. Sam gasped joyfully.

"He's alive," cried the loyal gardener. Gandalf sighed with relief.

"It's alright. I'm not hurt," Frodo assured the Fellowship.

"You should be dead. That spear would skewered a wild boar," breathed Aragorn, not believing his ears.

"I think there's more to this hobbit than meets the eye," chuckled Gandalf, that annoying, knowing twinkle glinting in his eye. Frodo cautiously drew his shirt open, revealing a glimmering corselet of silvery links.

"Mithril! You are full of surprises, Master Baggins," cried Gimli. Sakura sighed happily, feeling joyful that Frodo was alive and renewed as the shimmering mithril calmed her senses. Yet her moment of calm was not to last long. Howls and screeches echoed deep in the Mines of Moria, warning the Fellowship that they were not out of danger.

"To the Bridge of Khazad-dum!" Gandalf directed the Fellowship out of the chamber. Sakura sprinted on, breathing hard as orcs clustered around them, thousands pouring out of cracks in the stone. The creatures formed a tight circle around the company, sneering as their yellow eyes shone with hatred and blood-lust. Sakura's guts roiled. Even with her knives, which were meant to be used in situations like this, there was no way she would be able to take out so many. Suddeny, a roar echoed from the end of the hall, a bloody light glowing threateningly. The orcs screeched in fear and scattered, returning to their broods in the rock.

"What is this new devilry?" Boromir shouted over the frightened yowls of the orcs..

"A Balrog, a demon of the ancient world. It is a foe beyond any of you. Run!" Gandalf shouted, his weathered face weary. Sakura squeezed her eyes shut and ran blindly, determined not to burst into tears. So this was how the beloved wizard would meet his end. It was fitting, in a gruesome way. The Istari known so fondly for his amazing firework displays would die consumed in flame and shadow, his body bursting into tongues of fire. Gandalf seemed to be having equally morbid thoughts, and stumbled as the Fellowship suddenly drew to a halt before a yawning chasm.

"Gandalf!" yelled Aragorn, concern showing in the creases by his eyes.

"Lead them on, Aragorn. The Bridge is near!" replied Gandalf. "Now, do as I say!" Aragorn stared back at Gandalf, confused. The elderly wizard rested his hand upon Aragorn's drawn sword, forcing it back into its sheath. "Swords will be of no use here," he warned. He turned and smiled sadly at Sakura. The Fellowship sprinted down a narrow staircase, and Legolas leaped over a quickly widening gap and beckoned for them to follow. Gandalf made it over the chasm, and Boromir took hold of Merry and Pippin, jumping across safely. Legolas growled in frustration as orc archers took aim at the Fellowship and strung his bow, immediately killing the lead archer. Sakura bounded across the gap agilely, and Aragorn tossed Sam over before staring pleadingly at Gimli. The dwarf grunted stubbornly, holding up a hand.

"Nobody tosses a dwarf!" he roared, running and leaping for the other side. His foot caught the slippery rocks on the edge of the chasm, causing him to slip as Pippin squeaked in fear. Luckily, Legolas swiped a hand out and caught hold of Gimli's beard. "Not the beard!" complained Gimli as Sakura sighed, frustrated by the stubborn pride of men. Meanwhile, Frodo and Aragorn teetered on a swaying staircase. The chunk of rock groaned from side to side.

"Steady!" instructed Aragorn calmly, gripping Frodo tightly. The staircase shuddered as mammoth rocks pummeled its deteriorating structure. "Hang on! Lean forward!" cried the future king again. The staircase slowly moved towards the Fellowship, and Legolas leaned forward.

"Come on!" the elf pleaded, his eyes filled with worry. The twosome jumped, and Legolas and Boromir easily caught them, setting them down and sprinting on.

"Over the bridge!" called Gandalf, flames flickering around them. "Fly!" The wizard stared at Sakura as if saying goodbye and smiled at her kindly, and the fairy knew in that moment that Gandalf was saying farewell to her and only her, for who else in the Fellowship could fly? She reached out and squeezed the wizard's hand before rushing past him over the bridge, knowing that she could not stop his death. The Fellowship watched in horror as a creature comprised of shadow and flame rose from the depths, underneath the bridge. The Balrog swayed its horned head back and forth, its horrific nostrils flaring as it roared furiously at the Istari standing between him and his prey. "You cannot pass!" shouted Gandalf. Frodo cried out weakly, and the monster unfurled its enormous black wings, towering over Gandalf. "I am the Servant of the Secret Fire, Wielder of the Flame of Anor!" boomed the wizard, "The dark fire will not avail you, Flame of Udun! Go back to the shadow!" The Balrog stomped a fiery foot upon the bridge, a flaming whip swirling above its head. "HRRRRRGGGGGGGGGG!" it roared.

"You shall not pass!" roared Gandalf, bringing his staff down upon the bridge and breaking it. The monster snarled at him disbelievingly and stepped forward when the stone it stood upon gave way, falling into the endless dark. Gandalf grunted as if to say "Good riddance!" and walked calmly towards the Fellowship. The company let out a collective sigh, but Sakura knew this was not the end. Just as the wizard reached two strides away from the Fellowship, the flaming tip of the Balrog's whip curled up around the bridge and over his ankle, pulling him to the edge of the broken bridge.

"No!" cried Boromir.

"Gandalf!" sobbed Frodo. Gandalf glared at the distraught Fellowship.

"Fly you fools!" he choked out. His fingers slipped, and the great Istari fell into the chasm, consumed in light and shadow.

"NOOOOO!" howled Frodo, breaking free from Boromir. The Gondorian lunged at him, but the small hobbit nimbly dodged his hands and sprinted for the edge of the bridge. Tears streaming down his face, the ringbearer clutched at the jagged rock as if it would bring Gandalf back. Sakura gazed sadly at the heartbroken hobbit. Suddenly, orcs appeared on the other side of the bridge and screeched, stomping their feet. The vibrations pulsed through the air, and the rock that Frodo was standing on shuddered violently.

"Frodo!" warned Legolas, "come back! 'Tis not safe!" The young hobbit ignored him, tears still flowing over his cheeks. The rock lurched suddenly, and Frodo gripped onto the edge of the rock, all grief replaced by shock and fear.

"Legolas! Strider!" wailed the frightened hobbit. The men sprinted forwards, but it was too late. With a grinding screech, the bridge broke apart from the rest of the rock and plummeted towards the depths of Moria, carrying the last hope of Middle Earth towards his death. Sakura knew in that one instant why Gandalf's last words were instructing her to fly. She had no choice. Stripping off her cloak and snapping out her wings in the blink of an eye, the fairy princess jumped over the edge after Frodo, her transparent butterfly wings pulsing violently in the ferocious heat of Moria.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything that you recognize.**

**Bold is Elvish/Sindarin/Quenya/Noldorin**

**Dhalmi93 – Ah yes, the first half of the whole revelation is in this chapter!**

**Pr3TYGuR1Na3 – I'm glad you like it! I saw a bunch of Legolas/Other Race pairings and was surprised to find that there weren't too many fairy stories, so I thought I might make one of my own.**

**Death of a Dark Angel – Muahahahaha, cliffhangers are fun!**

**Rorythedragon – Hem Hem…. Refer to author name for the jellybean question, as well as the universal awesomeness of jellybeans.**

**JESSIE – Cliffies are so much more fun to write than to read hehe…**

**FourHorses – Thanks for reading, please keep reviewing!**

**Shadowkitten11 – Thank you for kicking my butt into action! **

**BiancaDiAngelo – Hey, my very first reviewer is back!**

**Bntjammer11 – Busily writing, I promise.**

Chapter 9

Sakura plummeted downwards, her ebony hair flying upwards as sparks of fire punished her unblemished skin. Her wings shuddered with the change in pressure as her ears popped, and her skin veritably steamed with the unbearable heat. She could still hear the Fellowship shouting in shock after her, but Frodo was right below her, screeching so loudly that her ear drums threatened to burst. The hobbit's eyes reflected pure terror and shock as he finally noticed the fairy flying down towards him. "Frodo!" cried the princess, "it is me, Sakura! Grab onto my hand!" She offered a hand to him as the hobbit stretched to reach, the intense heat starting to singe his clothes, steam rising off of his waistcoat. Sakura gripped onto the tip of Frodo's finger and pulled. Frodo remained on the crumbling rock. She heaved with all of her strength, and the ringbearer slowly rose up off the rock as Sakura billowed her wings to slow their vicious downwards hurtle. She painstakingly dragged him up towards her, her arms complaining agonizingly. Finally, Frodo was squeezed tightly in her arms, and Sakura sighed as she began the tiresome work of getting back up to the Fellowship. Her wings and back ached as she pounded the air, slowly rising inch by inch as she moaned quietly in pain. By now, Frodo had passed out from the shock and heat, and tears ran down the fairy's face as she wondered what would happen if they never made it back up.

Painstakingly flapping her wings, Sakura almost stopped as she considered giving up. Yet, Gandalf's last words were engraved in her mind, and she could not bring herself to dishonor his memory so. The wizard had fallen to his gruesome death, his body probably black and charred, his once silvery hair ashes at the bottom of the chasm, to save Frodo, to give Middle Earth one last hope. For her to dash all of his efforts and ignore his sacrifice would be heartless and cruel. Gritting her teeth tightly, the princess forced herself to flap her wings again as pain shot through her back. _For Gandalf_, she thought. _This is for his fireworks_. She flapped once. _And this is for that silly, battered old hat of his_. She flapped again. _And this is for his gnarly old face, and his awful sense of humor, and his apathy towards food, and for all the times he has told me what to do when no one else could_. Tears streamed down her face. A memory of Gandalf's laughter sizzled in her brain, and she pounded her wings even harder. When she finally looked up, salty water slightly obscuring her vision, the fairy realized that she could see the Fellowship. "Legolas!" she screamed. "Aragorn! Boromir! Gimli! Hobbits!" Each word was punctuated with a flap of her wings, and soon she rose to ground level.

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Legolas was sitting upon the jagged edge of the twice-broken bridge in shock, his eyes fogged over. Had they really lost the ringbearer to a freak accident? Had Sakura really dove over the edge, literally sprouting wings all the while? Nothing made sense. _What is she? I have never heard of a winged, fair creature such as her. Why has she told me nothing? Why does she not trust me?_ The why's echoed in his head mockingly. The elf stared down into the fiery depths miserably. The hobbits were dashing around, constantly peering over the edge. Merry and Pippin were thrilled to find that a beautiful winged creature had been amongst them this whole time. Meanwhile, Sam was hunched over on a rock, a crease between his eyebrows revealing that he was worrying for Frodo. "Do you think they'll be back soon, Strider?" asked Pippin excitedly. Legolas turned, furious and stripped of hope.

"They are never coming back, foolish hobbit," snarled Legolas, unable to take it any longer, his grief overwhelming him. "They are gone forever, and the hope of Middle Earth with them. Our world shall fall into darkness, Sauron the Deceiver reigning over the free-folk with a poisonous hand. We are all going to die, and nothing we can do will prevent that." Pippin stumbled backwards, his eyes shocked and depressed. Merry caught his cousin and glared venomously at the elf. Gimli waddled over on his short legs.

"I thought better of you, Master Elf," he growled, "even one of your kind should know better than to crush the hopes of those who are still young and unmarred." Legolas stared back hollowly.

"I am only being kind," he replied, "They must face the reality, which is that we have lost three of our Fellowship here today."

"Three?" asked a sweet voice from behind Legolas, "Gandalf was a great loss indeed, but I hardly think he accounts for three of us." The prince froze. He would recognize that voice anywhere, that voice with its lilting accent and careful pronunciation. He turned around slowly, not willing to believe his ears. There before him floated Sakura with Frodo in her arms, the two of them covered in ash and steam. This was the first time he had seen her without her silver robe. His eyes were immediately drawn to her dress (A/N: This dress would be fashioned after the Vietnamese or Chinese style, and not so much the Korean ones I described in previous chapters). Her body was clad in a smooth, high-necked sheath of black silk, violet and pink blossoms embroidered upon it. Legolas had never seen such style of a dress before. There was no corset or unnatural torture mechanism, no disturbingly low neckline, and he found that he quite appreciated the look. He was tired of the court ladies' impossibly tiny waists, their constricted ribs and their pushed-out bosoms. His eyes moved from her dress to her face. Her features were every bit as beautiful as he remembered it to be, even though it was covered with sweat and marred by little cuts inflicted by flying, flaming rocks. The flames behind her lit her shadowy hair into a glorious halo, and Legolas smiled quietly.

"Light and shadow," he murmured. Sakura stopped suddenly. _Light and shadow? Is that not what Mother told me I would find on this quest?_ she thought. _Is – is Legolas my light? No! No, it cannot be! Surely not!_ The revelation was too much for her exhausted body and mind. She collapsed on the hot stone, her ebony hair pooling around her body.

Legolas stepped forward, a quiet cry escaping for his lips. A worn hand shot itself in front of his chest. "No Legolas," warned Aragorn, "we do not know what – or whom – she is. Remember that she is an enchantress and a temptress. It would be for the good of us all if you left her here. There must be a reason she did not tell us of these wings," here he spat the word 'wings', "these wings of hers." Legolas stared stonily back at his old friend.

"Since I first met her," the elf began, "you have dissuaded me from befriending her. Yes, I admit that these wings of hers and her secrecy about her true identity are off-putting, to say the least, but she is a good woman, just as I am a good elf. And no good elf would leave a lady of any sort laying in a goblin-infested mine." Frodo, who had recently recovered consciousness, stepped forward shakily.

"I do not trust her either, Legolas," he started. Legolas moved forward angrily, but the hobbit held up a hand. "I do not trust her, but I will not leave her here either. Besides, she saved my life. In the Shire, it is considered extremely bad luck to leave debts like these unpaid." Aragorn gazed at Frodo searchingly, sighed heavily, and moved aside. _Legolas is blinded by love_, he thought silently, _but when he finds out what he loves, he may not be so happy anymore. May Eru forbid that he is cursed to have a love like mine – hopeless and full of dashed dreams. _Arwen's pale face floated in his mind, the memory of her sweet scent lingering in Aragorn's nostrils. _Oh, my love_, the ranger thought wistfully, _what I would give for you to be here with me, for you to be with me for just one moment longer_.

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**Near Lothlorien: January 17, 3019 **

Legolas rolled his sore shoulders, popping them in their sockets with a grimace_. How did Sakura, with her slender frame, carry me for a day and a half?_ he wondered. The female was extremely light, but his arms still ached from carrying her for about a day and a half. The Fellowship was nearing the outskirts of Lorien, for which Legolas was grateful. A chance to be among his kin and wash the sweat and grime of travel from his body would be greatly appreciated. Sakura had not yet stirred, which was to be expected. Although Legolas had never flown before, he would guess that carrying about twice his body weight while flying vertically for several hundreds of meters would have tired him out as well. Gimli was shifting uncomfortably at his side. "Stay close young hobbits," hissed the dwarf ominously, "they say that a great sorceress lives in these woods. An elf-witch of terrible power. All who look upon her fall under her spell, and never seen again." Legolas snorted disbelievingly. He had seen Lady Galadriel once when he was a mere elfling, and while she was certainly intimidating, she was no "elf-witch of terrible power," as Gimli so gracefully put it. Frodo suddenly halted, his blue eyes widening in shock. Sam tugged on his elbow.

"Mr. Frodo?" the gardener asked curiously. Frodo flinched and turned to his friend, shaking his head dismissively. Meanwhile, Gimli was continuing his rant. _This dwarf is more gossipy than half of the ladies in Mirkwood_, thought Legolas grumpily.

"Well, here is one dwarf she won't ensnare so easily! I have the eyes of a hawk, and the ears of a fox!" Gimli boasted. Two elven arrows appeared before the surprised dwarf's face. "Oh!" he cried. A dozen elves stepped into the moonlight.

"The dwarf breathes so loud, we could have shot him in the dark," intoned an arrogant voice. Legolas barely refrained from snorting. He recognized the voice to belong to Haldir, marchwarden of Lorien, an old friend from Legolas' visit to Lorien long ago.

"**Well met, Legolas, son of Thranduil**," greeted Haldir formally.

"**Our Fellowship stands in your debt, Haldir of Lorien**," replied Legolas, shifting the unconscious Sakura in his arms uncomfortably. Haldir stared at the cloaked figure in his friend's arms for a moment before he moved on to Aragorn. Legolas gazed down at Sakura, who was still slumbering away.

"**And who is this**?" asked the detached voice of the marchwarden from behind the Mirkwood elf. Legolas turned quickly.

"**I am not sure if she would appreciate me disclosing her identity**," he said quietly, not telling Haldir that even he wasn't sure who she was anymore. Haldir raised an eyebrow.

"**I must know who she is before bringing her into the Golden Woods**," he insisted. Legolas frowned. Haldir's lips pulled up into a smile momentarily. He leaned in and whispered, "**Besides, I would like to know who has so captured my dear friend's heart**." Legolas flinched away. He had known for a while that he was attracted to Sakura, that he liked her childish yet insightful personality, but love? Love was far from his mind - at least it had been until Haldir brought it up. The Lorien elf stared sagely at his younger friend. "**I shall not press**," he relented, "**but I at least need to see her face**." Legolas sighed deeply, but he knew there was no other way for the Fellowship to gain entrance into Lorien. He pulled back the silvery hood from Sakura's face.

"**Happy now**?" he questioned irritably. Haldir stared at Sakura for a little longer than Legolas would have liked.

"**Well, I certainly see why you love her so,"** the marchwarden grinned cheekily. Legolas groaned at his friend's frivolity. He reached for Sakura's hood to sweep it back over her face, but Haldir's hand caught his wrist.

"**What is it now**?" asked Legolas, frustrated. Haldir gently pulled the female's hair back, revealing a delicate, double-pointed ear. Legolas stared at Sakura's ear, stunned. He looked up at Haldir. "**I have never heard of a creature with double-pointed** ears," the prince mused. Haldir stared at the woman disbelievingly.

"**It cannot be**," he breathed quietly. "**There is no way, there is** –"

"**There is no way, what**?" hissed Legolas, annoyed. Haldir's silver-blue eyes blinked rapidly as he put on a smooth mask.

"**Nothing**," replied the warden. "**Nothing at all**." Legolas stared back at his friend. He knew that Haldir had been raised by Lady Galadriel after the sudden death of his parents, and was deep in her counsel. Haldir was a wise elf with access to resources that most elves did not have. If there had been any precedent for Sakura's strange attributes on Middle Earth before, the Lorien elf would remember it. "Come," called Haldir to the Fellowship, "you will follow me."

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The Fellowship traipsed after Haldir, the hobbits slightly out of breath. Golden mallorn trees towered above them, their smooth trunks glistening in the fading light, their leaves glimmering gently. The whole glade seemed to be alight with silver and blue. _Sakura would love this place_, thought Legolas sadly as he remembered her telling him of her love for the moon, _if only she would regain consciousness_. He shifted her gently in his arms so that her head was supported by his shoulder instead of lolling around listlessly.

"Caras Galadhon, the heart of elvendom on earth. Realm of Lord Celeborn and of Galadriel, Lady of Light," Haldir breathed proudly, his eyes glowing with adulation. The warden led the Fellowship up onto a dais where two seemingly mystical beings stood, hand in hand. Legolas' breath was stolen away by the beauty of Lady Galadriel, and he could see the adoration already growing in Gimli's eyes. The Lady's golden mane was unmatched, the wavy locks flowing smoothly over her shoulders and back. Her crystal blue eyes were piercing and slightly frightening, as Boromir proved as he whimpered slightly. The Lady's husband, Celeborn stood silently at her side, his silver hair reflecting the light.

"The Enemy knows you have entered here. What hope you had in secrecy is now gone. Nine stand here, yet ten there were, set out from Rivendell. Tell me, where is Gandalf, for I much desire to speak with him? I can no longer see him from afar," Celeborn questioned. His wife raised her head mournfully.

"Gandalf the Grey did not pass the borders of this land. He has fallen into shadow," intoned Galadriel in a low, husky voice.

"He was taken by both Shadow and Flame, a Balrog of Morgoth, for we went needlessly into the net of Moria," reported Legolas sadly.

"Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf in life. We do not yet know his whole purpose. Do not let the great emptiness of Khazad-dum fill your heart, Gimli, son of Gloin." Gimli looked up, looking startled but slightly more heartened.

"For the world has grown full of peril. And in all lands, love is now mingled with grief," continued Galadriel. Her husband seemed to wilt at her side.

"What now becomes of this Fellowship? Without Gandalf, hope is lost," muttered Celeborn hopelessly. Galadriel's eyes fixed on the unconscious form as a tiny smile danced across her lips.

"The quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail to the ruin of all. Yet hope remains while the Company is true, and with hope comes friendship and love," the elf-queen murmured.

"Hope, friendship, and love have forsaken us," muttered Boromir bitterly, his brow creased as he refused to meet the Lady's gaze.

"That cannot be so," retorted Galadriel, "no, not when the beloved princess of the fairies resides amongst us. For never shall we lose hope when the fair daughter of Titania is still in Middle Earth." Legolas' eyes snapped up to meet Galadriel's knowing ones.

"Princess? Of fairies?" he asked, bewildered. Gasps echoed as the Fellowship turned to the unconscious Sakura. Haldir's silvery-blue eyes widened as his previous theories were confirmed. Galadriel smiled.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Go now and rest for you are weary with sorrow and much toil. Tonight you shall sleep in peace," she said. As Legolas began to leave, he felt a presence in his head. _Stay back for a moment, young prince_, whispered Galadriel's voice in his mind, _we have much to discuss_. Legolas lingered as the rest of the company followed several **elleth** to bathe, eat, and retire.

"Milady, excuse my impoliteness, but the information you have revealed has taken a toll on my heart. My body and mind are also weary, and I would like to retire," the blue-eyed prince pleaded. The elf-queen stared down at him, her gaze unyielding.

"Remain for a moment, Legolas Greenleaf." She floated over to where Sakura lay in his arms, and passed a slender white hand over the fairy's face. Muttering an incantation, the Lady's lips pursed for a moment with concentration before she removed her hand. The princess awoke with a start.

"**Legolas**," she breathed, staring into his crystalline eyes. The prince smiled warmly at her before he realized what he was doing.

"**Your Majesty**," he returned sarcastically, setting her back on her feet. Sakura's eyes widened with horror.

"**What – what did you call me**?" she asked, confused. Legolas had not brought up her occupation since Imladris. Why was he bringing it up now? Galadriel silently left the glade, her husband's hand in her own.

"**I know everything now, Sakura**," Legolas spat, "**or shall I say, Princess Sakura of the fairies**?" Sakura turned white.

"**Legolas**," she pleaded, "**let me explain**." The Mirkwood prince's eyes narrowed.

"**Let you explain what? That you are royalty, why you never bothered to tell me? Why you told me that you trusted me, and why you broke your promise to explain everything? And Eru forbid that you tell me what race you are, for goodness' sake, and that the only time I have seen your face is by accident or in dreams,**" Legolas ranted furiously, his normally flawless complexion turning blotchy. Sakura looked confused.

"**You dreamt of me? And I thought you knew what I did, you were always commenting on it in Imladris**." Legolas stared blankly back at her.

"**No**," he said slowly, "**that is most definitely not what I thought you were**." The fairy's face scrunched up.

"**Well, if you did not know I was a princess, what did you think I was**?" she asked cautiously.

"**Hem**," Legolas coughed awkwardly.

"**Tell me!"** ordered Sakura, the part of her that was born to rule coming out with claws fully unsheathed. The elf winced.

"**Well, Gandalf said something that made me think that** **– well of course I didn't want to believe it, seeing as how you are such a wonderful person, but -**"

"**Out with it, Legolas Greenleaf, or I shall shove you into a place so dark, Moria will have seemed like nothing**! **What did you think I was**?" the princess barked.

"A – a woman of the night," whimpered Legolas quietly in Common Tongue.

"**What**?" questioned Sakura dangerously. "**Legolas, you had better hope that my Common Tongue is extremely spotty and that you did not just call me a woman of the night**." Legolas winced and shook his head jerkily. Sakura clenched her fists and opened her mouth.

**Alright, well I think I well end it here for this chapter. I'm sorry if it isn't too great, with school and everything I am a teensy bit stressed, and I got home pretty late today with an amount of homework that should be illegal. Well, please read and review! Since homework is insane right now, I am not going to update until I get at least 10 more reviews. Yes, I am evil and yes, that is a hefty amount of reviews demanded, but I really need reviews to motivate me to stay up at night to type all you lovely readers nice, exciting chappies. But hey, in my defense, this was a longer chapter. Anyways, see you in 10 reviews!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize.**

**Bold = Elvish/Sindarin/Quenya/Noldorin**

**Underline = Feyish**

**Wow, all you readers got past 10 reviews a lot faster than I expected, so here I am again! So sorry for the delay, but… Well, I'm back now. Tell me if you catch any mistakes! Feedback and suggestions are always welcome.**

**Pr3TyGuR1Na3 – Yes, and Gandalf is going to be in trouble, too **

**Kadee son 12345 – Well, 10 reviews happened pretty fast, huh?**

**XannaAngel – I'm glad you found this story too :). **

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**Death of a Dark Angel – Yes, Sakura can be quite fierce when you get past her quieter outwards personality.**

**Jessie – Well hey, you didn't have to wait too long, right?**

**Rorythedragon – OK, that is just scary. You are the tenth review**.

**David23 – Glad you like her! Ah yes, homework, I consider it cruel and unusual punishment.**

**Anyways, on with the story! **

Last time on Wings…

…_"What?" questioned Sakura dangerously. "Legolas, you had better hope that my Common Tongue is extremely spotty and that you did not just call me a woman of the night." Legolas winced and shook his head jerkily. Sakura clenched her fists and opened her mouth._

Chapter 10

Legolas cringed, expecting a long string of extremely angry words to come out of Sakura's mouth. Instead, a lengthy and distressed wail was emitted from the fairy's lips. The elf glanced up cautiously. "**Sakura**?" he asked carefully. The princess sank down beside a tree trunk sobbing as crystalline tears flowed down her face. _She must be the type that cries when she's angry_, thought Legolas, _I'm really in for it now_. The prince crept quietly over to the fairy's side. "**Sakura, are you quite alright? I am sorry for getting so angry with you, but –"**

"**Why do all men think that I am a creature with only a body and no mind**?" interrupted Sakura, her face blotchy and swollen. Legolas blinked at her. _That was not what I was expecting to hear,_ he thought confusedly.

"**What are you talking about?"** he asked.

"**Tell me, Legolas. Is it something about the way that I act or look that screams that I am not worth anything? That** **men do not need to treat me with respect like I am their equals?**" Legolas looked down guiltily.

"**Milady, I am truly sorry for the way I and the rest of the Fellowship has treated you. However, you must understand that –"**

"**Not milady, Legolas. Just call me Sakura**," admonished the fairy, "**that is what you have called me all this time anyways**." Legolas nodded.

"**Sakura, I truly am sorry, especially for hitting you on the archery field. Now that I have the knowledge I did not have then, I realize that you must have been very confused**," Legolas started again.

"**The archery field**?" murmured Sakura as if trying to figure out how Legolas had misinterpreted her words. The prince glanced down, slightly ashamed and awkward. Suddenly, the fairy's eyes widened. "**Oh, you thought that I –**" Legolas nodded solemnly for a second and stared into the princess' swollen eyes, fighting to keep his face straight as the morbid humor of the situation hit him. The two of them sat straight-faced for a moment before they burst into uncontrollable fits of laughter. "**You thought that I was calling you –**"chortled Sakura.

"**And you must have been so confused as to why –" **howled Legolas, rolling around in the dirt. The pair sat giggling hysterically for a good few minutes before they came back down to Middle Earth.

"**What a situation Gandalf had got us into**," murmured Sakura bittersweetly, her mind flashing back to his sacrifice. Legolas' blazing grin faded slightly at the reminder of their lost wizard. They sat in silence for a moment.

"**Sakura, I do not mean to be impertinent, but I do believe you have much to tell me**," he reminded her. The fairy swallowed the rising lump in her throat.

"**I do not know where to start**," she admitted honestly as fear surged through her. Legolas patted her hand.

"**Perhaps you can start from why you were so upset earlier**," he suggested, all of his previous anger now gone from his heart. He sensed that Sakura needed his support, and it felt good for him to be the one comforting her for once instead of it being the other way around. The princess took a deep breath and turned her misty amethyst eyes to meet Legolas' warm blue ones.

"**Legolas, you must understand that men have not treated me well in the past. I have had many past lovers, and none of them have truly cared for me. They seem to think that as a princess, all I have to do is sit mindlessly and look pretty. Although in my country, men and women are considered equals, many seem to think that rule does not apply to me. You asked me in Moria what I fear. I fear being an outcast, not being accepted," **the princess confessed. Legolas stared back at her sadly.

"**It is a problem that all royalty face, although I will admit that females suffer the brunt of it. Chauvinism is a major fault of our society, as is the hasty judgment of those who lead sheltered lives by people who have no idea how royalty truly live**," he agreed, "**but you must know that not all men are like this. Aragorn, although he has not treated you well, treats his love, Lady Arwen, as his equal. The Shire-folk will treat you fairly as well, and even the dwarf will respect you**." The fairy glanced down at her hands.

"**And – and what of you**?" Sakura asked quickly before she could lose the courage. Legolas smiled at her warmly, taking her weapon-worn hands in his large ones.

"**I will always treat you with all the respect you deserve**," he promised tenderly, gazing into Sakura's eyes. She smiled tearfully. Perhaps her mother was right, and Legolas truly was her light. She wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, gently shoving his shoulder.

"**Here you go now, making me cry. That's not treating me with respect**," she joked. Legolas chuckled quietly. His eyes traced the face of the fairy before him.

"**I just realized that I know just about nothing about you or your family**," he told her. Sakura smiled as she thought affectionately of her siblings and parents.

"**My family is gigantic**," she warned. Legolas laughed.

"**I am pretty sure I have more family members**," he replied confidently. The fairy's eyes twinkled.

"**I have eight sisters and five brothers**." Legolas choked.

"**And I thought I had a lot of siblings**," he muttered, referring to his four brothers and one sister.

**"I am the oldest of my sisters, and two of my brothers are older than me**," Sakura disclosed.

"**So you are not the heir to the throne then**?" asked Legolas curiously.

"**I am the crown princess**," the fairy replied quietly, "**in my nation, power is passed on through females, and since I am the oldest of my sisters, I will someday become queen of the Silver Isles**." Legolas' eyes widened.

**"So you are telling me that I have just spent the last few months thinking that the future queen of the fairies is a prostitute**?" he asked. Sakura snorted.

"**I suppose when you put it like that it sounds particularly awful."**

"**I don't think there is any good way to put it**," replied Legolas humorously. "**Now, tell me more about fairies**."

"**Well, we all have wings, that much you have seen already**," the fairy began, her mind flashing back to the intense scene in Khazad-dum where they had almost lost the ringbearer. "**Our ears are double-pointed, and we all share a love of the moon. The moon is actually larger where I live. It is very disorienting to come to Middle Earth and see that the moon is only about a tenth of the size here as it as in the Silver Isles**." Legolas gaped at the strange fact.

"**So you were telling me the truth when you told me to fly towards the moon for a week to find where you live?"** Sakura snickered and began to tell Legolas in great detail about her family and world.

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Haldir of Lorien was ambling through the woods. The Fellowship of the Ring had gotten rather worried when Legolas and Sakura had not returned, and had dispatched him to search for the two. The seven adventurers were extremely agitated, confused about Sakura's identity and still grieving for the loss of Gandalf, which was not a good combination. Haldir flipped his silver hair over one shoulder, grumpy at being sent out like some common servant to fetch two misbehaving elflings. "I am the marchwarden of Lorien," he complained to himself, "and two Men, four halflings, and a _dwarf_ of all creatures, think they can order me around. And to retrieve two fully grown beings, too!" A chiming laugh sounded from behind him.

"Oh, forgive their impudence, great marchwarden, mighty eye of the woods, protector of fearful damsels in distress, powerful –"

"Legolas Greenleaf!" yelped Haldir, "Do you not know that the rest of your company has been worried sick about you? And look at you, dirt all over your clothes and leaves in your hair! One would think that you are only three years old instead of three thousand by the way you act!" The prince of Mirkwood grinned unrepentantly.

"And one would think that you are an **elleth** who clucks like a mother hen instead of the great marchwarden you claim to be," he returned. Haldir bit back a snarl.

"Where is Sakura?" asked the warden, greatly wishing to return from this lowly errand. Legolas shrugged before glancing upwards casually. Haldir slowly followed his gaze and nearly fainted. Sakura was sitting cross-legged in the air, her wings gently pulsing, a wide and mischievous grin upon her face. The fairy waved happily down at the stricken marchwarden, who was having a hard time breathing properly.

"Children, the both of you," complained Haldir when he recovered from the shock. "The Fellowship awaits you, and I suggest that you do not keep them waiting!" Sakura lightly touched down on the ground, her smile fading.

"Do you think they are angry at me?" she asked Legolas quietly. The elf stared back grimly.

"I do not know," he replied, "but they will be more understanding if you explain to them that you were under orders from your queen not to disclose information about the fairies." Sakura nodded quietly and gripped his hand in her own, drawing from his store of steady support. Haldir smirked at this. _So my Lady was right_, he mused internally.

"Well, let us be off, back to the Fellowship," the Lorien elf cried, waving the pair after him as he began the trek back to the company.

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Aragorn sat upon his sleeping roll, numb. It had been a long day. First Gandalf fell to his death in Moria, then Frodo nearly followed, only to be saved by a winged being that he had believed to be a woman of comfort. When he had finally led the Fellowship successfully into Lorien, he had thought the events of the day to be over, but no, it was then revealed that the winged prostitute was actually a fairy princess. And now, said fairy princess along with his closest friend were missing. _I do not think anything could surprise me anymore at this point_, he thought, exhausted. The crunch of twigs and leaves disturbed him from his thoughts, and the silver-haired warden of Lothlorien traipsed into the clearing, Legolas and Sakura, the grime of travel still upon them, following him. Pippin nudged Merry awake, tilting his head towards the fairy. The heir of Gondor stood.

"Legolas, Princess," he acknowledged. Sakura winced at the title, but nodded at him politely. The clearing was awkwardly silent for a moment before Aragorn spoke once more. "I think you have quite a bit to explain, milady." The fairy nodded silently, her grip on Legolas' hand tightening as he gently squeezed back reassuringly. The Fellowship gathered around as even Gimli roused from his deep slumber.

"I think the best way to do this is if you just ask me whatever questions you have," said Sakura quietly. Aragorn nodded coldly.

"Who are you?" he asked bluntly. Sakura sighed.

"I am Sakura, daughter of Titania, crown princess and heir to the throne of the Silver Isles," she replied, "and before you ask, I am most definitely not a prostitute." Boromir winced apologetically at that.

"Milady, I am truly sorry that we all assumed so. It is only that –"

"Yes, Gandalf's words were rather misleading. Do not worry, for Legolas has explained to me and all is forgiven. I meant only to clear up any confusion," Sakura interrupted. Pippin stepped forwards.

"So you are really a fairy?" asked the curly-haired hobbit curiously. Sakura smiled gently down at him.

"I am," she replied.

"Is that why you have violet eyes and wings and funny ears?" asked Merry innocently as the other three hobbits nodded in agreement. Legolas was slightly taken aback. How had the halflings noticed her ears when even he, with his elven sight, had not?

"The wings and ears are traits of all my people, but only the queen and her heir have violet eyes. If I were to die, my sister's eyes would change," replied Sakura. Frodo cocked his head and opened his mouth to ask a question.

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**Lothlorien - January 18, 3019**

Dark circles were embedded under Sakura's eyes. She had spent the entire night answering the Fellowship's questions, and was still sweaty and dirty from travel. The rest of the company seemed much more energized than she, and she watched the hobbits enviously as they bounced around merrily. The Fellowship was still mistrusting of her, but for the main part they seemed to have gotten over their intense hate of her.

"**You look terrible**," murmured a velvety voice behind her. Sakura turned to face a clean and happy Legolas who had snuck away to bathe while she was answering questions, much to her resentment.

"**What a kind thing to tell a lady**," she grumbled. "**I could have you beheaded for that**."

"**As could I**," countered Legolas cheekily.

"**Well then, it seems we have come to a royal impasse, quite literally. Either way, I am going to wash up**." The fairy stood gracefully and grabbed her pack of clothes, heading towards a nearby hot spring. Legolas' eyes followed her until she disappeared into the trees.

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Sakura slipped neatly into the springs, moaning as the hot water soothed and relaxed her muscles. Steam rose up from the surface, sweetly filling her nostrils and clinging to her face. The grime of the past month disengaged itself from her skin reluctantly as she carefully scrubbed. She had tried to keep clean during the journey, but it wasn't easy for her to wash often when nine other males were around. The fairy hummed quietly to herself as the dirt finally came out from one particularly troublesome spot, leaving her skin smooth but slightly raw. A bar of soap in her hand, she scrubbed her hair aggressively. For the first time in months, she was content. The Fellowship, and most importantly Legolas, knew everything, and she no longer had to conceal her face. The company was in a safe haven and probably would not leave for at least another month. Now as soon as she could get the gravel and sweat out of her hair, she would be happy.

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Legolas sat in a tree with Haldir, chatting idly. The smooth branches of the mallorn comforted the wood-elf, and he leaned happily against it as the warm rays of the morning sun caressed his face.

"Of course I am the better archer," Legolas joked, "my eyesight will always be better than yours." Haldir chuckled quietly, gazing out into the distance. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed and focused.

"If your eyesight is so wonderful, do tell me what that is." Legolas followed the marchwarden's gaze. A gently pulsing silver ball of light was floating towards them. The surface was entirely smooth, and it seemed to be completely opaque. The two elves quickly jumped down from the tree and sprinted to warn the Fellowship that something was strange was approaching. Soon, the entire group was armed.

"Sakura is still bathing," realized Legolas with horror. "Haldir, please, go warn her that something is coming!" The marchwarden stared at his frightened friend and dashed off towards the springs. The silver ball floated down towards the Fellowship as Legolas set an arrow to his string.

"Reveal yourself!" commanded Aragorn strongly. The ball pulsed faster and stronger, its light growing until it was unbearable. The Fellowship shielded their eyes with their hands until the light slowly faded. Legolas opened his eyes cautiously. A male fairy stood before him, his black hair reaching past his shoulders. His features were just as angular as Sakura's, his chin slightly pointed, body clad in the silver garb of his kind. The fairy opened his mouth.

"**Where is Sakura**?"

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Sighing happily, Sakura rolled her shoulders comfortably and carefully squeezed the remaining drops of water from her hair. She felt rejuvenated after a long bath, and the silk of her dress whispered against her skin comfortably without the layer of sweat interfering. Suddenly, a panting blur whizzed into the clearing.

"Haldir!" she cried, surprised.

"Milady, please, there is –" the warden gulped, his breath coming in short gasps. Sakura stared back at him. Haldir just reached forward and grabbed her hand, immediately towing her towards the area where the Fellowship rested.

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Legolas blinked at the fairy. "**Who are you, and what do you want with Sakura**?" he snarled, not quite trusting him.

"**I wish only to –"** began the male in garbled Sindarin. Haldir and Sakura raced into the meadow. Legolas turned to the princess and stopped. She had glanced up at the other fairy, and now her eyes were about to bulge out of her head. Her face was turning purple, and the elf feared that if she did not take a breath soon, she would faint from lack of breath. Finally, she moved.

"Zhuang!" she cried, sprinting forwards and throwing her arms around the stranger's neck. Legolas' hands clenched with jealousy. Who was this fairy to her? Did she have a lover? The two chattered in their own language happily. Sakura turned to the rest of the Fellowship.

"Oh, do put your weapons down. This is my eldest brother!" she squawked, flapping her hands. Gimli grunted and lowered his axe but did not appear to trust the male fairy.

"And why is he here?" he asked. Sakura stopped flapping and turned to her brother quizzically.

"Why are you here?" she questioned. Zhuang's face turned grim.

"I am not here for a pleasure visit, dear one," he answered sadly. The crown princess' face scrunched up in confusion.

"Does Mother wish to deliver a message?" she asked.

"No," murmured Zhuang, his black eyes filled with grief.

"Tell me, Zhuang!" Sakura ordered. Her brother closed his eyes before opening them once more and staring at her miserably.

"It is Ya Ya," he whispered, "she has the iron sickness. She will be dead within the month."

**Muahahahahahaha, evil end, yes I know. Well, same rule applies to this chapter as the last, so see you in 10 reviews!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize.**

**So sorry for the almost-week-long delay. What can I say? I was busy. :( Well, this was more of a filler chapter but next chapter is when more action will be happening. I think. Well, read on!**

**Bold = Elvish/Sindarin/Quenya/Noldorin**

**Underline = Feyish**

**David23 – HOMEWORK! OH MY GOODNESS! Homework is the essence of evil…**

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**Death of a Dark Angel – Well, I already answered you by PM, but in case anyone else was wondering, I'll post it on here, too. Gandalf was kind of troubled by the thought of his impending death, and he wasn't really thinking of protecting Sakura's reputation.**

**Jessie – I'm glad too ;) Very happy about my reviews.**

Chapter 11

Sakura froze. "What – what did you say?" she stammered quietly, not wanting to believe her ears. Zhuang bowed his head quietly.

"I will not repeat it again, sister," he refused, "my heart will surely break in two if I am forced to say it once more." Sakura's eyes welled with pained tears.

"How?" she asked, shuddering with barely repressed sobs. "How could this happen?" Her brother sighed and sat down on the ground, his head in his hands.

"Ya Ya was out as always, running around and exploring. Initiation was taking place near her, and an iron sword broke and one of the shards flew into her leg. By the time we got to her, it was too late to heal her. The poison of the iron had burned almost completely through her leg, and her blood has been befouled. She weakens every day." Meanwhile, the Fellowship was murmuring amongst themselves, confused at what was going on. Legolas tapped the distraught Sakura on her shoulder.

"**Sakura, what is going on**?" he asked cautiously. The fairy turned to face the Fellowship and the elf almost wept himself when he saw the grief etched into her now familiar face.

"My niece," she choked out, "she was severely injured and will be dead within a month." The entire company inhaled sharply. There was a moment of heavy silence before Gimli set the question that everyone was thinking into words.

"How?" questioned the dwarf gruffly, his small eyes shining with sympathy. Sakura's eyes turned hollow, as did her voice.

"Ya Ya was playing around the training field on initiation day. A shard of iron flew over to where she was and embedded itself in her leg. The poison of the iron is making its way through her veins as we speak." Aragorn raised his head curiously.

"If iron is poisonous to your kind and causes such severe burns, why do you even keep it in reach of your children?" he asked. Sakura bristled and Haldir cringed for the Dunedain.

"It is not normally in reach of the population," she defended, "it was initiation day. New warriors have to defeat a current warrior who is wielding a weapon of iron. The danger drives them to do their best. Nothing like this has ever happened before. It is not as if we want fairies to die, to have their legs almost completely burned off, or to die agonizingly slow deaths. My niece is the only child the entire nation has had in more than a century, why would we want to kill her?" The princess' tone was getting more and more hysterical. Aragon knew enough to shut his mouth as Legolas drew forward to comfort Sakura. The female couldn't take it anymore. Leaping to her feet and unfurling her wings, she took off into the air and flew towards the trees.

"Sakura!" cried Legolas in concern. Without a backwards glance, he sprinted off after her.

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Sakura sat nestled amongst the highest branches of a slender tree. Tears were pouring down her face as she remembered the sweet little feyling who was now slowly dying. A rustle from a neighboring tree alerted her to another presence. "**Legolas, you didn't have to come after me,**" she lied through her teeth. "**I'll be alright**." Legolas furrowed his brow.

"**How did you know it was me**?" he wondered. The fairy smiled thickly through her tears.

"**Only you would be stupid enough to come after me**," she joked emptily, trying to maintain their usual playful banter. The prince sighed and leapt over to her tree gracefully, being a wood-elf.

"**Don't**," he pleaded, "**don't do this to yourself. Don't do this to me, or your brother, or the Fellowship. Just don't.**"

"**Don't what**?" queried Sakura, pretending not to know what he was talking about. He ran a slender hand through his silky locks.

"**Don't pretend that you are fine. We all know that you are upset, and no one thinks any worse of you for that**," he told her sadly as her expressive eyes turned to him, their violet depths hopeless and despondent. The fairy stared at him for a moment before she threw herself into his arms.

"**How could this happen, Legolas**?" she cried. "**Oh how foolish I have been, worrying about being accepted in new places all this time and taking what I already had for granted. It is all my fault! This has never happened before. Ya Ya is always more mischievous when I am gone. If I hadn't left for this quest, maybe she would** –" Legolas pulled back from her embrace.

"**It is not your fault**," he said sternly, "**there is no way you could have known that this would happen. You should not torture yourself thinking like this. In the end, it will do no one any good. Besides, the Fellowship needed you on this Quest. We would not have made it without you.**" Sakura snorted sarcastically.

"**As if you actually needed me**," she commented cynically. "**Gandalf sent for me to comfort you all, and all that I have been doing is sniveling in your arms like a lost feyling**." Legolas tilted her chin up sharply.

"**Never say that**," he ordered. "**You have helped us more than you know.**" The princess turned her eyes to him, looking both self-deprecating and fearful, like a small mouse.

"**How?**" she whispered pleadingly, "**I never even talked to half of the Fellowship**." Legolas' stern gaze softened a bit.

"**If not the entire Fellowship, you helped me. Your innocent yet mature personality was refreshing in a company of men who have been sent on a suicide mission. You reassured me in Moria. If not for you, I might have flung myself upon the spears of the goblins to escape the confining dark. And Frodo, you saved Frodo from sure death, and for that all of Middle Earth is grateful.**" Sakura sniffed quietly.

"**You are too good to me, Legolas**," she told him tearfully. Legolas chuckled softly.

"**I know**," he replied humorously. The fairy smiled briefly at him, before her eyes darkened again.

"**What am I to do, Legolas**?" she questioned. "**What do I do when fate forces me to choose between saving Middle Earth and seeing my niece once before she dies**?" Legolas placed a large hand over her shivering breast.

"**What does your heart say**?" he queried quietly. Sakura closed her eyes for a moment.

"**It tells me to return**," she answered after a few seconds. "**My heart tells me that it will break if I never see her again.**" Legolas tried to hide his grief at the thought of being separated from her for however long her visit lasted. The slender female had become a close friend, and he could not deny the attraction he held for her.

"**Then you return**," he choked out, forcing the lump in his throat down.

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Boromir felt uneasy. Sakura and Legolas had been gone for quite a while, and although he had not known the elf or the fairy for a long time, he still cared for them, particularly the fairy. Her presence was naturally soothing, and it distracted him from the parasitic thoughts of the Ring that had latched themselves upon his mind and heart. He could feel it now, stronger than ever when Sakura was gone. The Ring was continually delving its way deeper into his mind and twisting his nationalism into darkness. Boromir had never felt more violated before. He had thoughts his love for Gondor incorruptible, pure, a constant given in his life. Yet now his love was planting violent thoughts in his head to kill Frodo, steal the Ring, and bring it back to aid his father in the protection of his beloved country. As the Gondorian remembered the elven lady's piercing gaze and frightening words, he trembled. _There will be no solace for me here_, he thought to himself.

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An elf and a fairy emerged from the trees before Aragorn's eyes. The ranger rose to his feet. "Sakura, Legolas," he acknowledged as his eyes hooked on Legolas' hand wrapped around Sakura's. While he no longer held the spite he once harbored for the fairy, he still worried for his friend. No being that had managed to keep so much about themself secret for such a long time was one that he would easily trust. Legolas was a dear friend of his, and he was determined that his friend would not become entrapped in a romance like his own. Although Aragorn loved Arwen with all his heart, there were some days when he wished that he had never encountered her in the first place. Their love was hopeless and they were both cursed to eternal pain, for they would never have a happy ending. The king would not wish such pain upon Sauron himself, and he certainly did not want it for Legolas. He flinched as he was interrupted from his thoughts.

"We are very sorry for your niece, Miss Sakura," said Sam sincerely, his hands behind his back and his earthy eyes crinkled in concern. Sakura smiled sadly.

"Thank you Samwise," she replied in her high feyish voice. The princess looked around the clearing, suddenly confused. "Where are Zhuang and Haldir?" Aragorn winced at that.

"Haldir returned to report to Lady Galadriel," he told her.

"And what of my brother?" she asked, her features frightened and distressed. The Fellowship shifted around guiltily, transferring their weight from one foot to the other.

"Haldir took him to see the Lady," Boromir inserted. "He does not trust him." Sakura's eyes narrowed and Legolas grimaced as she tightened her grip furiously upon his hand.

"And you let him?" she snarled. "I am going to get him back!" A cool voice filled the clearing.

"That will not be necessary or possible," mandated Haldir from behind Sakura. "He released himself from our custody." Legolas' brow wrinkled for a moment as he processed Haldir's cryptic words and the small bruise blooming on the warden's pale skin before he realized what had happened, a wide grin spreading across his face.

"So the fairy who was probably exhausted from flying for over a week was able to beat the omnipotent Haldir of Lorien in hand-to-hand combat," Legolas chuckled as his friend glowered at him.

"That is beside the point," complained Haldir stiffly, attempting vainly to regain some of his shattered dignity.

"So you lost my brother," concluded Sakura grumpily. "Well, I suppose I shall have to travel by myself then." Aragorn held up a hand.

"Wait a moment," he protested. "You are leaving?" Sakura's amethyst eyes burst into flames.

"My niece is dying and you won't let me leave to visit her when all you are doing is resting?" she inquired hotly. Aragorn passed a hand over his face.

"It is not like that," he defended himself. "We do not know you well enough to allow you to just leave. What assurance do we have that you shall return? Gandalf wanted you with us, which means that we will need you on the Quest." The female stalked towards him, her temper flaring, dragging Legolas behind her, the poor elf's hand throbbing.

"You will not stop me from leaving," she warned, her face inches from Aragorn's. The Gondorian was looking very uncomfortable indeed. Finally, Gimli stepped in.

"Why doesn't the lass take someone with her?" suggested the dwarf. Aragorn nodded, relieved.

"Of course," he cried. "Sakura, if you take someone with you, we can trust that they will bring you back. Only then will we allow you to leave." The princess glared at him for a moment.

"I will come with you," proposed Legolas. He did desire to learn more about the culture of the fairies, and he knew that Sakura would need his support in the weeks to come. Sakura paused for a moment and glanced at Legolas. She hated the idea of needing a babysitter, but she knew it was the only way she would be able to see Ya Ya again.

"Fine," she accepted grudgingly. "Let us pack quickly, then. I want to leave as soon as possible." The prince smiled comfortingly at her and left to prepare.

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Lothlorien – Evening of January 18, 3019

Legolas' bags were slung over one shoulder as he stared at the slender Sakura as he realized that she had wings and he most definitely did not. "How exactly are we going to get all the way to the Silver Isles?" he asked suddenly, feeling stupid for not having asked earlier. The princess chuckled.

"You must be light if you can walk atop snow," she pointed out, "so I shall carry you." Gimli roared with laughter.

"How manly you are, elf-princeling," he snorted, "relying upon the strength of a female." Legolas sent a deathly glare at him.

"If it was Lady Galadriel who had wings and wanted to take you with her to her homeland, I'm sure you would have leapt for the chance right away," he countered. The dwarf turned crimson under his scruffy beard and ducked his head, muttering to himself. Sakura sent a half-admonishing, half-amused glance at the elf besides her.

"We should start moving out," she told Legolas. The prince nodded as she reached her arms out to him. Legolas hesitantly opened his arms as well and pulled her into an embrace, tensing slightly at the feel of her small hands pressing against his toned back. Pippin snorted from behind them at the strange sight. "Hold on tight," she warned the elf, her warm breath tickling the sensitive tips of his ears. Legolas shivered slightly and tightened his grip on her waist. He felt the muscles in her back flex and deflate as she unfurled her wings, the space they had been residing in collapsing. Staring at Sakura's vibrant wings, Legolas watched as the colors rippled systematically through the clear veins, fascinated. The wings tensed, then slowly began to churn the air as the pair rose into the darkening sky.

**OK, so this chapter is really short, but I needed a filler chapter of some sort between more plot-filled ones, so don't kill me! Next chapter will be more exciting. If you have any suggestions or questions, tell/ask me in the reviews, and I'll either try to PM you or reply in the review responses. In the meantime, read and review! **


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I own nothing that you recognize!**

**Sorry for the (not-so-slight) delay. Slightly fluffy chapter, hope you like it anyways. Thank you to everyone who reads, reviews, favorites, and follows, I love y'all!**

**Bold = Elvish/Sindarin/Quenya/Noldorin**

**Underline = Feyish**

**David23 – No matter, any review to me is amazing. Sorry about the essay :( **

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**Jessie – Your review made my day! And to answer your question, I am indeed in high school, and thank you very much!**

**My Dear Frodo – Thank you thank you thank you!**

**Rachel Roth-Grayson – Here it is!**

Chapter 12

**Evening of January 26, 3019**

Legolas and Sakura had been traveling for more than a week, but were still not in the Silver Isles due to the extra weight the fairy had to carry. Sakura winced and flexed her wings uncomfortably as a cramp rocketed through them as Legolas watched on guiltily, stirring a pot of stew atop the campfire. Sakura caught his troubled gaze and smiled reassuringly at him, her hand atop of his. Legolas began to fret anyways

"**Are you sure that you can fly? I can walk if your wings are **–" Sakura snorted and interrupted him playfully.

"**Are you calling me weak, prince**?" she dared lightly, her eyes twinkling cheerfully. Legolas opened his mouth for a second to respond before the princess stuffed a hunk of bread into his gaping mouth.

"**MMMPH**!" he protested loudly as Sakura grinned unashamedly. Legolas chewed and swallowed, almost choking as the spiciness assaulted his burning taste buds. "**Too spicy**!" he gasped out as the fairy beside him chortled happily, tossing him a flask of water.

"**You are going to starve to death, prince of glutton! The food in my country is renowned for its crippling spiciness, and that bread was made with the mildest spice we ever use**," she warned him, amusement evident in her eyes. Legolas glared at her indignantly.

"**Are you challenging my strength, ****shikshin**?" he growled. Sakura giggled at him and reached into one of her bags.

"**Dare I suggest a battle of the strength of our taste buds**?" she queried jokingly, pulling out a box of mahogany and rosewood. Legolas' eyes hooked upon the box curiously as she pulled open the latch on the box, revealing dozens of diminutive scarlet seeds.

"**What is that**?" he wondered aloud as Sakura smiled mysteriously.

"**The crowning jewel of feyish cuisine**," she told him in a lowered voice, "**seeds of the Chi-Chien pepper. These seeds are the offspring of the hottest pepper known to fairies**." The proclaimed prince of gluttony stared at the seeds, fear and excitement mingling in his azure eyes.

"**What sort of battle**?" he asked, his eyes remaining on the seeds. The fairy hid a blazing grin and began to outline the rules.

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Legolas stared down the tiny seed in his palm. "**This seed, no larger than a pomegranate seed, is spicier than that huge hunk of bread**?" he asked skeptically. Sakura chuckled at that.

"**That it is. My mother and the king of an invading nation once made a deal that whoever could eat the most of these seeds would claim the right to own the Silver Isles**."

"**And**?" asked Legolas anxiously. The princess shot a glance at him.

"**Well, fairies still occupy the Silver Isles today, do they not? The king was reduced to a trembling heap of tears as soon as the seed hit his tongue**," she smirked at the memory. The frightened elf at her side swallowed the rising lump in his throat. "**Are you scared**?" Sakura asked, amused. Legolas' competitive nature rose to the surface.

"**I am not**!" he defied proudly, "**and besides, were you not the one to tell me that it was alright to be frightened**?" Sakura stuck her tongue out at him immaturely. Legolas rolled his eyes, masking his nervousness, and turned his attention back to the flame-red seed in his hand. _It cannot possibly be that bad_, he reasoned internally, and popped it into his mouth. For a moment, he felt nothing. Then, the burn of the pepper consumed his tongue as its juices spread themselves over his mouth. The world blistered, turning a fiery yellow as his tongue flamed ferociously before a black void opened in front of his eyes.

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**Silver Isles: January 27****th****, 3019**

Sakura chuckled quietly as she flew through the crisp morning air, Legolas' arms wrapped around her neck. The wood-elf had been unconscious for hours now, passing out moments after the seed made contact with his taste buds. _Perhaps I should not have challenged him_, she mused silently, _but it was so much fun to watch his face turn purple_! Legolas groaned quietly in her arms as he slowly came to. With a sudden grunt, he flailed his limbs, disoriented, nearly knocking Sakura out of the air.

"**Calm down**!" cried the fairy, "**Or you shall be the death of us both**!"

"**Where am I? Why does my tongue feel numb? What happened to me? Was I stabbed in battle?**" Legolas released a slew of questions. Sakura regained her balance as she giggled to herself.

"**No, in fact the powerful prince of Mirkwood was not brought down by blade or arrow, but in fact a single seed of a pepper**," she chuckled. Legolas frowned for a second before the memories came rushing back.

"**You – did you know that it would make me lose consciousness**?" demanded the elf furiously, his cheeks bright with shame.

"**No, but it was a rather interesting discovery**," replied Sakura casually. "**I did not know that elven taste buds were so weak**." The prince in her arms sighed pitifully as her wings churned the air behind them. Suddenly, a shout rang through the air from a cluster of clouds above them.

"Sakura!" called a masculine voice. Sakura wheeled around in the air immediately as Legolas marveled at her agility in the air even with his added weight.

"Zhuang?" she questioned cautiously. The familiar, angular face of the eldest prince morphed from the clouds.

"Sister, you have been delayed," he commented, his eyes locking on Legolas' lanky body, which was squirming awkwardly so that he could see what was going on. "And what in the Silver Isles have you brought home?" Sakura grinned sheepishly at that.

"This is Legolas," she introduced, translating into Sindarin for Legolas' benefit. "He is the prince of Mirkwood and a good… friend of mine." Zhuang noted her momentary hesitation with a speculative once-over and floated down towards the ground, Sakura following behind him. Legolas grunted softly as his feet met solid earth again. He stumbled backwards for a moment, surprised. As an elf, he had a special connection with Middle Earth and its creatures. As he noted the lack of existence of special understanding between him and the earth, Legolas realized with a slight shock that he was no longer in Middle Earth, and that this nation was a place entirely new to him. Zhuang frowned lightly at the elf, whom was scanning his surroundings with apparent interest and stumbling around, still unused to the feel of the soil of the Silver Isles.

"Was he born a little funny?" he inquired. Sakura smacked him none too lightly on the arm.

"Zhuang! Be kind to our guest!" she scolded, glaring up at him with her hands upon her hips as her brother smirked unapologetically. Rolling her eyes, the princess ambled over to join Legolas.

"**How do you like the Silver Isles**?" she asked, prodding his arm to capture his attention. Legolas stared up at the slender cherry trees around them, their fragrance filling his nostrils as the frothy pink blossoms swayed gently in the light morning breeze. Sakura followed his gaze and smiled. "**Cherry blossoms, or as we call them, ****sakura**. **They are my namesake**."

"**They are gorgeous**," he breathed in awe. _Just like you_, he added silently in his mind. _Wait, where on Middle Earth did that come from_? _I must be extremely disoriented_. Zhuang tapped his sister's shoulder lightly.

"I am sorry to interrupt, dear sister," he murmured gently, "but we should move on now. Ya Ya likes to take a nap at noon, and we should arrive early in case – ". Zhuang hesitated for a moment, meaning to say _in case she never wakes up_. "In case she does not want to entertain company." Sakura's face sobered as she fully knew what her brother had almost said.

"Then let us move on," she agreed. Legolas followed the two fairies as they continued towards where the moon would be, his eyes still tracing his surroundings with interest.

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It took almost two hours to reach the gates of the palace of Legolas' dreams. Standing before it, he felt a strange sense of déjà vu staring at the moonstone castle with its graceful arches and beautiful gardens. Zhuang stood at the gates as they slowly swung upon, soundless and silent, as Sakura let out a long breath, her eyes finally resting upon her home once again. Legolas turned around on the spot, impressed by the detail and craftsmanship of the palace of the Silver Isles. Zhuang shot him another strange look. Meanwhile, Sakura seemed to be internally troubled as her eyes locked upon the rooms she knew Ya Ya resided in. Her brother rubbed her shoulder gently. "I will lead your friend to his rooms," he told her quietly. "You may go visit Ya Ya alone." The princess would have smiled gratefully at her brother, but she could not bring herself to smile in the shadow of Ya Ya's death. Explaining quietly to Legolas the new arrangements, she waved goodbye to him and moved towards her niece's rooms.

As she climbed the stairs, her heart throbbed painfully as she imagined her niece's condition. Jang Mi stood at the head of the stairs, and Sakura's heart nearly broke as she viewed her sister's face. Once radiant and glowing, the nation's rose was now gaunt and pale, looking as if she would blow away like her daughter's ashes in the gentle morning wind. "Oh, sister," she murmured agonizingly, caressing her sister's empty face with a hand when she arrived at the top. Jang Mi forced a thin smile.

"Do not worry for me. I will be fine," lied the younger princess. Sakura was rapidly reminded of her own denial, suddenly feeling extremely thankful towards Legolas for pulling her out of the pit of depression she had fallen victim to. "Ya Ya is waiting for you," continued Jang Mi. "She saw you coming from her window." Sakura nodded silently, kissed her sister's cheek, and opened the door to Ya Ya's room with a trembling hand and heart.

Ya Ya lay pitifully on her bed, the covers thankfully hiding her mangled leg from view. The feyling's face was transparent, the bones of her face showing through, but her eyes lit up at the sight of her favorite aunt. "Auntie Sakura!" she cried in her high voice, her once full lips wobbling happily. Sakura beamed down at her niece.

"Hello, love," she murmured. "How are you feeling?" Ya Ya pouted petulantly.

"I do not want to talk about how I am feeling," she exclaimed stubbornly. "That is all anyone ever talks about with me anymore." Sakura's smile faltered a little.

"What would you like to talk about then?" she queried.

"My present!" shouted Ya Ya as her aunt cringed. Sakura had completely forgot to bring back a present for her niece, and she wondered what she could possibly do to make it up. She would not have time to fly back to Middle Earth to find a present, and she doubted that any of her or Legolas' possessions would be fit for a dying feyling. "Auntie?" asked Ya Ya.

"Er… why don't you guess?" Sakura suggested, delaying for more time to think.

"I know!" cried her niece excitedly.

"What is it?"

"The pretty elf you brought back!" Ya Ya exclaimed. "He's my present!" Sakura paused for a second, a mischievous grin growing upon her face.

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Legolas sighed comfortably, lounging upon his new bed. Zhuang had led him to his extremely spacious rooms. He had bathed and changed into a fresh outfit for the feast that Zhuang had told him, in broken Sindarin, was to be held tonight in celebration of his and Sakura's return. Sakura had been gone for several hours now, although he did not grudge her any of them. He patted his tunic carefully, smoothing out the wrinkles in the rich green fabric. Legolas wished to make a good impression on the monarchs of the Silver Isles, and he knew from experience that wrinkled or muddied clothes would never do. He began to daydream of his childhood experiences with conceited rulers and scoldings from his father. Closing his eyes, he drifted off into the waking sleep of the elves.

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Before Legolas knew it, the sky had darkened and a servant was pounding on his door. The elf clambered out of bed and straightened his now re-wrinkled tunic before answering the door. "**Yes**?" he answered tiredly. A younger fairy male stood before the door.

"**Your presence is required for the feast**," he pronounced carefully with a similar accent to Sakura's. Legolas nodded to the fairy with a half-hearted smile and followed him down the twisting corridors of the palace after a last check of his golden hair in a mirror of polished silver. After walking for an amount of time that the elf found ridiculous, the pair finally reached the dining hall. The enormous hall was filled with tables, each table heaped with steaming food and drink. Legolas immediately began to salivate as the fairy led him silently to his seat at an empty table. Sitting down, he directed his attention to the still sizzling platters of meat and cabbage. A female servant immediately filled his goblet with wine of pale gold, and draped a fine napkin over his clothes.

The fairies of the hall chattered and murmured as they stared at the one golden head amongst all of the black ones. Legolas did not even notice, so focused was he upon the food on the table. He was so entranced that he did not notice as the chatter died down, or as the royal family entered. In fact, he did not notice anything until a deep, rather amused voice behind him commented drily in fluent Sindarin, "**It appears that our Sakura has finally found a match in gluttony**." The elf jumped in his seat and turned around slowly, hoping that his intuitions were incorrect. Sadly for Legolas, he was a very intuitive elf indeed and the fairy standing behind him truly was Sakura's father, the king of the Silver Isles. A tall, powerful man, Oberon's dark hair flowed straight down his back, his skin the same creamy tone as his daughter's. Deep-set eyes stared curiously at him, framed by thick, hawk-like eyebrows. King Oberon was clothed in dark grey robes that suited him well, the charismatic nature of the fashion reflecting his own powerful charm.

"**Ah, sir**," stuttered Legolas, lurching to his feet and bowing jerkily as he cringed internally. _What a way to make a first impression_, he thought, _Father would thrash me for that_. Oberon smiled kindly at him, amusement evident in his eyes.

"**Nice to meet the elf that my daughter has rather unexpectedly brought home**," he told him. Legolas did not know how to answer him, so stared rather awkwardly at the ground.

"**Oh, Oberon, do leave the poor thing alone**," complained a husky voice. Legolas glanced up from the ground to see Queen Titania standing before him in her traditionally imperial silver hanbok. Her face was remarkably similar to Sakura's, especially her vibrant violet eyes. "**I personally think an elf with an appetite is nothing to be sniffed at**," confided Titania. "**Although I must admit, even Sakura could not match that intense stare of yours. Speaking of Sakura, where is that daughter of mine**?"

"**I believe she was helping Jang Mi get Ya Ya ready for the feast**," answered her husband. Just then, Sakura entered the hall with a gaunt female fairy and a haunted-looking male with a feyling in his arms. Legolas assumed that they were Jang Mi, her husband, and Ya Ya. The youngster's eyes lit up as they settled upon Legolas, who sent a confused glance at Sakura, who barely hid an amused grin. The four approached the royal table and seated themselves, Legolas surrounded by Sakura and Ya Ya on either side of him. The elf sensed something going on, but was quickly distracted as Titania motioned for the servers to dole out food. Steaming piles of food clustered on Legolas' plate as he reached for his fork.

Sakura's slender hand quickly reached out and covered his as she nodded towards her mother, who had stood up and opened her mouth. Legolas blushed as the queen proceeded to give a lengthy and flowery speech in Feyish to her people, his stomach complaining the whole while. As Titania finally seated herself, the entire table sent Legolas an amused glance as they began to eat.

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Legolas shoveled food into his mouth happily, occasionally stopping to stuff his face with yogurt to calm the vicious heat of Feyish food. Meanwhile, Ya Ya had not touched her food and was staring intensely at him. Opening her mouth for the first time all night, she rattled off a long stream of Feyish words. Legolas turned to Sakura, cheeks bulging with food as he motioned for her to translate. Sakura laughed gently and said, "**She wants to know if all male elves are as feminine as you**." Legolas spluttered indignantly.

"**I am not feminine**!" he cried, which Sakura adeptly translated for her niece. Ya Ya giggled at that and asked something else.

"**Now she wants to know if you have a lover**," translated the princess, shooting an amused glance at her niece.

"**NO**!" cried Legolas. Ya Ya did not seem to need a translation for that, and rattled something else off.

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Legolas groaned tiredly. Ya Ya had finally retired for the night after asking him thousands of increasingly intrusive and private questions. The feyling certainly had lots of energy for a dying being. "**Why did she ask me so many questions? Please tell me she is not going to do that every meal,**" the elf pleaded. Sakura giggled.

"**I may or may not have told her that her present from Middle Earth was you**," she mentioned casually. Legolas' eyes bulged.

"**You did what**?" Sakura grinned unrepentantly. "**I think I need a drink**," groaned the elf.

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An hour and five mugs of feyish alcohol later, Legolas was completely drunk. Since the fairies had not had elves as company for a few millennia, they had forgotten that their alcohol affected elves and men much differently than it did the fairies. Legolas' eyes were half crossed as the male fairies around him chortled at his drunken movements. Sakura sighed and rolled her eyes. "**That is enough drink for you**," she scolded the elf, clutching his arm and dragging him towards the corridor.

Legolas laughed hysterically as he waved goodbye to the remaining fairies and staggered along. "**You know, you look very pretty tonight,**" he told her. Sakura sighed impatiently and tugged him along. "**You see, that purple dress really matches your eyes, and I think you are the prettiest lass I have ever seen**," he declared. The princess groaned as he continued to drunkenly compliment her all the way up to his rooms. Shoving him in through the door, she smiled tiredly at him.

"**Good night, Legolas**," she said softly. The prince stumbled around to face her.

"**Good night, Sakura**," he called. "**I love you**!" Sakura stared at him in shock. Legolas' face split into a wide, toothy grin before he slammed the door in her face. The fairy princess walked back to her room in a daze.

"Now what on Middle Earth am I supposed to make of that?"

**Alright, nice long chapter to make up for the delay. Please tell me if you spot any errors, since I wrote this super duper fast. To all silent readers (yes you!) please read and review, it makes me really happy, which makes me update faster. If you have any suggestions or questions, PM me or post a review. Until next update!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize!**

**Bold = Elvish/Sindarin/Quenya/Noldorin**

**Underline = Feyish**

**Hello everyone, so sorry for the delay… Anyways, for some reason, last chapter's formatting got really messed up when I uploaded it, and only half of the underlined portions are showing up underlined. If you have any idea what's going on, please PM me or tell me in the review section. Thanks!**

**Dhalmi93 – I'm so happy it made you laugh. Ah yes, I couldn't figure out what to name Sakura's parents, so I thought that the names of the most famous literary fairy monarchs would do.**

**Jessie – Thank you thank you thank you! I am actually not taking any English classes at the moment… I have them all next semester.**

**Guest – Well, he was terribly angry. Thanks for reviewing, and please keep reading!**

**Hel daughter of Loki – Oh, tragedy and I have a love-hate relationship. I love to read it, but I hate it too. I'm glad y'all liked the more humorous parts of Chapter 12.**

**Rachel Roth-Grayson – Thanks! Please keep reading and reviewing, I look forward to seeing your name on the review list all the time.**

**Kadee son 12345 – I'm trying my hardest, I promise.**

**OK, on with the story!**

Chapter 13

**Silver Isles - January 28, 3019**

Legolas groaned as brilliant rays of sunlight penetrated his vision and rolled over, pulling silky silver sheets over his head. "**Five more minutes, Sakura**," he muttered sleepily. _Wait a second_, he thought, _since when do I travel with silver sheets?_ As he blinked drowsily under his blanket, the memories rushed back into his brain. He remembered meeting Zhuang again, beholding the gorgeous cherry trees, encountering the monarchs of the Silver Isles, and the intrusive questions of Ya Ya. Groaning, he sat up. Suddenly, he froze as the world swirled around him and his stomach roiled. What was happening to him? Had he been poisoned? He had never felt so disoriented before. All rational thought abandoned him, and the elf opened his mouth. "**MAID!**!"

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"Lady Sakura," called a tentative voice. Sakura smiled and snuggled deeper into her warm blankets, rubbing her face in the comforting silk as she ignored the voice. "Milady!" called the voice again, slightly sharper. The princess frowned but disregarded the voice again, using her hair to plug her ears so that she could no longer hear. A hesitant hand reached over and shook her lightly. The princess groaned and heaved herself up, ebony hair spilling all over her face in a tangled nest. A slight fairy maid stood before her, looking panicky and distressed.

"What is it?" Sakura mumbled, annoyed at the interruption of her well-deserved sleep.

"It is your friend, the handsome one with the strange ears and the corn-colored hair," babbled the maid. "He has been screaming for help for the last ten minutes in his own language, and no one can understand him. The men say that he is acting like an injured animal and will not let anyone near him. They fear that he has been wounded or damaged." Not bothering with shoes, Sakura leapt out of bed and threw on a loose robe, tying it sloppily with a crinkled sash. Before the maid could even point out where Legolas resided, the princess was out the door and shooting in the direction that she remembered to be the elf's rooms. She panted violently as she sprinted, wild thoughts shooting through her head.

_What has happened to Legolas? I shall never forgive myself if he has been injured in my nation_, she fretted. Horrifying pictures of Legolas with a mangled arm wrapped in bloody bandages filled her head, the mind-Legolas leaning over and retching on the floor. Her bare feet slapped the moonstone floor as she skidded to a stop before the Mirkwood prince's rooms. A huge crowd of male fairies clamored around the entrance, a curious head occasionally peeking through the doorway as a maid held them back. Three healers stood around Legolas' bed. The prince was pressed up against the head of the bed, eyes crimson and bloodshot. A female healer was clearly trying to convince Legolas to let her examine him, but he could not understand Feyish. Sakura pushed her way to the front of the crowd, forcing a clear path to Legolas' bedside. The men murmured as they beheld their princess in such disarray. Her hair was crinkled and slightly wavy from her pillow, and her robe was slung messily over her body, her nightdress visible underneath. The panic in her eyes did not go unnoticed, and a few of the fairies nudged each other, motioning with their heads at the distraught elf, sensing a new addition to the royal family. "**Legolas**," cried the princess. "**I am here**!" Legolas' eyes shot over to her as he moaned pitifully.

"**Finally!**" he groaned. "**Something is wrong with me, Sakura**." The princess allowed her eyes to fall shut for a moment. Her worst nightmare had morphed into reality. Legolas was unwell.

"**What is it, my Legolas**?" she begged. "**What is hurting you**?" The elf grimaced.

"**My eyes are sensitive to light, and I feel nauseous**," he got out. "**I cannot stop sweating, and my heart is racing**." Sakura paused for a second, staring at him suspiciously.

"**Does your stomach feel like it is about to thrust itself back up your throat**?" she asked cautiously. Legolas nodded vigorously, stopping as he soon became dizzy.

"**That is exactly what it feels like**!" he cried. "**How do you know? Do you know what is wrong with me**?" Sakura sighed and dropped her head into her hands, rubbing her temples tiredly.

"**I do know what is wrong with you**," she disclosed. Legolas stared up at her fearfully.

"**Am I going to die**?" he asked pitifully. Sakura's head lifted up to stare at him.

"**Your problem is that you are a complete fool, Legolas**," she groused, "**you have a hangover! Have you never consumed too much alcohol before**?" Legolas turned his head to stare at her.

"**Surely you are mistaken. Elves do not get hung over. That is a condition for drunken mortals**," he mused.

"**Feyish alcohol affects each race differently, just like our spices**," reminded the princess with a touch of amusement in her voice as she remembered the competition of the taste buds. "**It seems that it affects elves in the same way as elvish alcohol might affect humans**." Legolas pushed himself up to rest on his arms, suddenly feeling rather foolish for attracting all of that attention because he had drank too much ale the night before.

"**Oh**," he managed to say as Sakura turned around, rather irritated. With a wave of her wrist, she dismissed the healers and spectators before turning back to the suffering elf beside her. Sighing, she tucked the blankets securely around Legolas' firm body and smoothed the hair back from his face. The airy curtains were shut with a quick tug, and her patient moaned appreciatively as the offending light was finally blocked out of his vision.

"**Go to sleep**," she instructed firmly. "**Do not get out of bed until you are feeling better. I am not sure my parents would appreciate you vomiting all over their furniture if you get up before you are ready.**" Legolas' blue eyes shone in the darkness of the room.

"**Stay with me**," he pleaded childishly, his lower lip sticking out adorably. Sakura frowned at him and began to whine.

"**But I have to go talk to my parents about the situation in Middle Earth, and then I have to go to the smithy to have my knives sharpened, and then I have to – OOMPH**!" Legolas grinned triumphantly as he wrapped the startled Sakura up in his blankets.

"**You can go after this**," he assured her. "**But for now, you shall be my very own caterpillar**."

"**Caterpillar**?" questioned Sakura in disbelief.

"**You are wrapped up right now, and when I release you, you shall have your wings**," replied Legolas matter-of-factly as the princess in his arms gaped at him.

"**I don't want to be a caterpillar**," she complained. "**Caterpillars are ugly and green**." She turned and stared into his eyes as he gazed back affectionately.

"**So are you**," deadpanned Legolas. He managed to keep a straight face for a moment before the look of absolute horror on Sakura's face pushed him over the edge. Laughter vibrated in his chest as the fairy's slender fists pounded at his shoulder.

"**You are horrible**," complained the princess.

"**As are you**," countered Legolas. "**At least I did not make you pass out from spiciness, or answer thousands of questions from my niece**." Sakura grinned at that.

"**Ya Ya adores you**," she told him. "**She thinks you are very pretty, like a pony. Her exact words, I promise**." Legolas sighed mockingly.

"**A caterpillar and a pony. What a pair we make**." Sakura giggled at that, snuggling into his warm chest. Her eyes were just beginning to drift closed when Legolas began to speak once again.

"**You called me your Legolas earlier**," he began, his voice curious yet lighthearted. "**What does that mean? Do you own me now**?" Sakura froze, her cheeks flushing violently in the dark.

"**Let us go to sleep**," she evaded clumsily. "**I am tired from being woken up by a very panicky maid**." Legolas chuckled quietly at that, his own cheeks and ears flaming. His arms wrapped tightly around his caterpillar, the pony fell happily into the land of fantastical dreams.

**OK OK, so that was really short and fluffy. But hey, it's better than nothing, right? I didn't have much time and felt really bad that I haven't updated in a while, so here we are! I was trying to emphasize Legolas and Sakura's relationship a little more the past couple of chapters, so tell me how you like it in the reviews. Anything else that you want to suggest or ask, please PM me or review! Thanks, and I'll hopefully be back tomorrow with another (longer) update!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize!**

**Bold = Elvish/Sindarin/Quenya/Noldorin**

**Underline = Feyish**

**Once again, some of the formatting was kind of strange in the last chapter. If you know why this is happening, please, please, please tell me! Also, I thought of something that I wanted to try out. How old do y'all think I am? I've seen writers that have asked this before and received really interesting responses, and now I am extremely curious. Post your answers in the review section!**

**Jessie – Yay! A fluff fan! I have read too many fan fictions that have their characters profess their undying love for each other within the first few chapters, so I am trying to keep that from happening. I am very glad you like it!**

**Also, a huge thanks to everyone who favorited, followed, or just read the chapter. On with the story! **

Chapter 14

**Lothlorien – February 3, 3019**

Boromir lay in his bed roll, shaking with barely suppressed madness. His condition had deteriorated rapidly ever since Sakura and Legolas had left, and the Ring had weaseled its way deeper into his soul, staining it and blemishing his prideful and loyal personality. The Gondorian shivered and muttered to himself under his breath, rocking back and forth and trying to banish the tantalizing image of the blazing golden Ring from his head, yet to no avail. The Ring had the upper hand in the battle to conquer Boromir's mind, for it knew one thing that no one else did: madness is like gravity; all it takes is a little push. With the departure of the fairy princess, Boromir had fallen over the edge, and now the only question was how long it would take before he hit the barbed spikes at the bottom of this vicious cycle.

**Silver Isles – February 3, 3019**

It had been eight days since Legolas had fallen asleep with Sakura in his arms, and it had been eight days since he had a proper conversation with her. Ya Ya's symptoms were getting worse and worse, and he could hear the young feyling's tortured cries in the middle of the night. Judging by the dark circles under Sakura's eyes, she had heard them too. The princess seemed to get more and more solemn as time passed, and Legolas found himself missing her soothing, carefree nature. He saw her only at mealtimes, and even then she only responded to his attempts at conversation with one-word answers. The prince was not an invalid or completely insensitive, he knew that he would feel the same if the roles were reversed. However, he wished that Sakura would talk to him about it. The fairy seemed to have a habit of running away or hiding whenever she was distressed, and the Mirkwood elf knew that isolating oneself when upset never yielded positive results.

In his free time, Legolas had been spending a bit more time with Sakura's brothers, especially Zhuang and Sakura's other older brother, Xiao. Xiao was a slightly more scholarly type, not unlike Legolas' own brother. A lover of books, Xiao spent lots of time indoors, poring over maps and plotting and organizing patrols while Zhuang tended to lead patrols or train new recruits. The younger of the two brothers was fluent in Sindarin and had apparently taught his eldest sister the Elvish language. Xiao, upon hearing that an elf fluent in Sindarin had arrived in the Silver Isles, had sprinted over to Legolas' room with a broad smile and demanded in nearly flawless Elvish that the wood-elf tell him all about Middle Earth. The two had become fast friends as Xiao recorded all sorts of interesting factoids about Legolas' home in exchange for humiliating stories about Sakura's childhood.

Zhuang had been a little harder to befriend. Not only did he barely speak any Sindarin, he later disclosed to Legolas that he had initially thought him to be strange and stupid. However, upon seeing the Mirkwood elf at the archery range, he quickly changed his mind. Both brothers were bold and extroverted, but Xiao tended to be slightly more eccentric while Zhuang was more guarded. Unfortunately, Zhuang was often assigned to patrolling and could not talk to Legolas quite as much as Xiao could. On this afternoon in particular, Legolas was playing his favorite game with Xiao. "**Your turn**," said the bookish fairy eagerly, his swan feather ready to write.

"**Hmmm… well, in Middle Earth, the throne is passed from father to son instead of mother to daughter**." Xiao gaped at him.

"**You surely jest**," he stuttered. "**That cannot be possible**!" Legolas chuckled at his friend's open mouth.

"**That is what I thought when I heard that the Silver Isles was ruled by a queen instead of a king. Middle Earth is a highly chauvinistic world, and women have little to no rights**." Xiao stuck the tip of his quill in his mouth.

"**How very strange. I would never have imagined such a government. In fact, if I were not the prince, I would have preferred a democracy, or a republic, or a representative democracy. After all, a limited government is always better than an unlimited one, and –**" Legolas held up his hand to stop his excited companion.

"**I did not understand any of that, and I do not want you to explain it to me**," the elf complained, overwhelmed. The Mirkwood prince had learned early on to stop Xiao quickly before he got too excited and no one could shut him up. The fairy prince pouted. "**Now it is your turn**," reminded Legolas. Xiao thought for a second.

"**Well there was that one incident with the tree and the pepper**," he muttered under his breath. Legolas' ears perked. "**Although I must say, my sister would thrash me if she knew that I told you**."

"**Tell me**!" pleaded Legolas. His friend paused for a second, before relenting.

"**Zhuang and I told Sakura there was no way she could handle swallowing a Chi-Chien pepper seed. Of course, with her pigheadedness, she ended up insisting on proving to us that she could. She, rather idiotically, decided to swallow the seed while flying. The spiciness overwhelmed her so completely that she looped around in the air and crashed into a spiky tree." **Xiao chuckled fondly at the memory. Jaw dropped and eyes bulging, Legolas leapt off of the tree that they were seated on.

"**THAT - THAT TRICKSTER**!" he sputtered as Xiao watched on, confused. The fairy was about to ask his friend what in the Silver Isles he was talking about when a chiming bell sounded from the highest tower.

"**Lunch time**," commented the fairy prince cheerfully as Legolas whipped his head around, positively salivating. Stopping his pacing, the elf sprinted towards the dining hall as if all of the forces of Sauron were after him.

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Sakura was exhausted. Ya Ya's condition had worsened, and Jang Mi was showing signs of fading. While fairies did not fade in the same way as elves, they could simply choose not to eat and end up starving to death. Ya Ya's once uncontrollable energy had now died down, and the light radiating from her eyes had dimmed to a dull pulse. Her leg was mangled and twisted, and her black veins showed through her taut skin. The eldest fairy princess had stayed by Ya Ya's bedside for the last three nights, and had hardly talked to anyone but the healers and her parents. Ya Ya was slumbering uncomfortably in disturbed sleep, twitching occasionally as the iron poison spread through her blood. "Milady," murmured one of the healers, "lunch is about to start. I can watch the princess, you should go eat." Sakura was too tired to protest and simply nodded, rising and smoothing out her rumpled skirts. She knew that no matter how tired she was, as the princess and role model of the Silver Isles, she always needed to look presentable. This rule of hers had been broken only once, when Legolas had suffered from the symptoms of his first hangover.

Walking down the glowing corridors of the palace, the princess rubbed her eyes tiredly. A servant smiled timidly at her before opening the grand double doors for her. Sakura took her place at the head table next to Legolas. "**How are you**?" asked the elf tentatively.

"**Alive**," replied Sakura, entirely serious. Legolas frowned. This was not going well.

"**You are a liar**," he told her reproachfully. Sakura turned her attention to him, confused.

"**Is your Elvish eyesight failing you? I am very much alive**," she retorted, gesturing to herself, a tiny bit of her old self resurfacing in her eyes. Legolas waved a hand dismissively.

"**Not that. The peppers**!" he cried.

"**What about the peppers**?" the princess returned, bewildered.

"**Your brother told me that you crashed into a tree when you were swallowing the seeds**!" Sakura didn't even bother asking which brother and just turned to glare violently at Xiao, who in turn sent a glare at Legolas.

Sniffing delicately, she replied, "**I did not lie. I never said that I reacted well to Chi-Chien peppers, I merely told you that Feyish cuisine is spicy, and that my mother could tolerate the seeds**." The Mirkwood prince scowled at Sakura indignantly.

"**That is not fair**," he told her.

"**Life is not fair**," she retorted. Legolas glowered at her for a second, then stiffened and averted his gaze politely, his posture suddenly stick-straight. "What is it?" Sakura asked in Common Tongue, effectively keeping their conversation private.

"Your parents are watching us," muttered Legolas out of the corner of his mouth.

"And?"

"I am trying to make a good impression," snapped the elf. Sakura stared at him for a second before she burst into fits of explosive laughter. The entire table relaxed visibly as the merry sound of the princess' chuckles filled the hall. It had been too long since the people of the Silver Isles had heard their beloved princess laugh.

"You – you were eyeing a platter of vegetables like you had never seen food before the first time they met you, and then you got drunk and had to be half-carried back to your room, and you think you can change their opinion of you now by maintaining good posture?" she chortled. Legolas paused for a second and soon began to chuckle as well as he realized his own stupidity.

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Queen Titania and King Oberon watched their eldest daughter affectionately as her eyes began to regain their previous light. The monarchs had been incredibly worried about their daughter's emotional state ever since she had returned to the Silver Isles. Sakura had been slowly wasting away, her unique personality losing its charm day by day. While the elf prince's methods of healing the princess were certainly unorthodox, they were both grateful for his intervention. "It seems as if Lady Galadriel's predictions are well on their way to coming true," Titania muttered to her husband. Oberon stiffened.

"I do not like that idea. Sakura is much too young for that," he refused. Titania nudged the king gently.

"She is our eldest daughter. Most of her sisters are married or engaged anyways," the queen pointed out. Her husband frowned and shook his head resolutely.

"I don't like it," he announced. Xiao sniffed mockingly at his father.

"Well I do," he replied. "And I am going to try and make the Lady's predictions come true." The prince's father glared at him as the younger fairy grinned back cheekily. Legolas and Sakura chatted on unknowingly.

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Ya Ya shuddered lightly in her sleep, her lavender eyelids shivering. Jang Mi stroked her daughter's brow tenderly. She knew that this night would be her daughter's last, and wanted to spend all of the remaining time at her side. Ya Ya's eyes moved under her eyelids, darting back and forth, her lips mumbling quietly. Her mother leaned in closer in an attempt to hear her daughter's words. "Auntie loves her sparkly pony," muttered the feyling, "I know she does." Jang Mi let out a hoarse chuckle. That was her daughter, constantly uttering ridiculous statements even when she was asleep.

The door swung open quietly, squeaking ever so slightly as the hinges groaned. Sakura fluttered in lightly and joined her sister by Ya Ya's bedside. "How is she?" the eldest princess asked.

"Muttering something about you and a sparkly pony," replied Jang Mi, eyeing her sister curiously as Sakura's cheeks flushed crimson.

"Is she now?" murmured Sakura under her breath. "I do think she likes her present a little too much."

"Well, whatever you gave her, she liked it very much. Oh yes, that reminds me – Oh, where did I put it?" Jang Mi began to overturn drawers in search of the mysterious object before she pulled something out triumphantly. "Ah ha! Here is the evasive rascal! Ya Ya made you a gift." Sakura smiled bittersweetly at her niece's delicate features, and caressed the sloppily wrapped package. It felt hard, like a book of some sort, and was carefully tied with a string. Ya Ya had signed the package quickly with blotchy, clotting ink. The string was frayed and the paper was crinkled, but Sakura thought it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. A moan from the bed drew her attention back to her dying niece.

Ya Ya began to shiver harder on the bed, and the sisters exchanged glances. They knew that the feyling had little time left now. The youngster's body convulsed as the iron poison spread through her veins faster and faster, racing up her neck and towards her brain. Ya Ya whimpered as the pain intensified. Tears were flowing from Jang Mi and Sakura's eyes as they watched their beloved feyling shake violently. "Make it stop, mommy!" cried the child. Jang Mi let out a strangled sob.

"Shush, mommy loves you, mommy loves you," she chanted, gripping her daughter's hand tightly. Her husband had approached the bedside as well, having arrived in the room as Jang Mi had searched for Sakura's gift. The eldest princess smoothed down her niece's sweaty brow, trying to make her last moments in this world as painless as possible. Ya Ya's father took his daughter's other hand and rocked back and forth, tears flowing silently down his face. The young fairy writhed in pain as her fevered body protested the invasion of the poison. Ya Ya shuddered one last time before her body failed her. The life left the feyling's body as the iron poison completely filled her veins.

Jang Mi fell into her daughter's arms, wailing in grief as her husband held her from behind. Sakura watched mournfully as a blazing silver ball of light shaped as a duckling withdrew itself from her niece's mouth. The light shook itself, as if getting used to not inhabiting a body, and slowly waddled out an open window. The duck seemed to walk on air, as if a mysterious breeze was carrying it up towards the heavens. The wind caressed the curtains, seemingly whispering a last farewell. Ya Ya's soul floated up towards the moon, and the three fairies stood at the window until it had drifted out of sight and could no longer be seen.

**Poor Ya Ya… Well, this chapter really did not seem to want to come out of my brain, so tell me how I did in the reviews please! If you have any questions, suggestions, guesses on my age, or solutions regarding the formatting, please PM me or drop a quick review! Thanks!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize!**

**Bold = Elvish/Sindarin/Quenya/Noldorin**

**Underline = Feyish**

**ZabuzasGirl – Welcome, new reader! I am rapidly updating!**

**Dhalmi93 – I loved her too, but what's the point in creating a character if you don't get to kill them off? cue malicious laughter from authoress**

**Jessie – You are a mind reader! I already had this chapter planned out before you mentioned anything! This is crazy! Anyways, I think I am going to reveal my age when I finish this story so that new readers can guess as well. Thanks for your constant support!**

**Hel daughter of Loki – I'm sorry I made you cry… But I thought it would be kind of unrealistic if Ya Ya miraculously recovered.**

**Kadee son 12345 – I tried, I really did.**

**All righty, everybody. Just a warning, I may not update for a bit, I have to take my SAT's soon :( . In the meantime, enjoy!**

Chapter 15

**Silver Isles – February 4, 3019**

Sakura had retired to her chambers late last night, an aching pain embedded deep in her heart. Her tears had spilled unbidden, and many times she had wanted to go to Legolas, but she decided that she should not trouble him with her burdensome problems. After a long night of clutching the unopened package from Ya Ya to her chest and debating about whether or not she should open it, the princess fell into a troubled yet deep sleep. At the moment, she was currently sprawled across her bed as the rays of the morning sun caressed her face tentatively, as if aware that she had suffered through a long night.

The fairy's bedroom door creaked open as a lithe, handsome figure dressed in a light tunic of green and brown crept into the room. The male shut the door behind himself and clambered carefully onto Sakura's bed, settling down on the silky covers. Sakura winced sleepily as she felt the bed bounce as another body settled itself beside her. "Whazzit? Whazzgoinon?" she slurred. A deep voice chuckled beside her.

"Don't tell me that in the few decades that I have been gone, you have forgotten how to speak properly, princess," joked the voice. Sakura froze. She knew that voice. Pulling her arm away from its position over her eyes, her eyes widened and she bounced to a sitting position, tossing Ya Ya's package gently onto her nightstand.

"Seunghyun!" she screeched. The handsome fairy before her grinned widely, pulling her trembling body into his arms as she clutched him to her tightly. Seunghyun had been her childhood friend, and had never stopped being her best friend. The son of her mother's closest advisor, Seunghyun had hated her with a passion when the two were feylings. Oddly enough, they shared the same begetting day, a fact that both youngsters had once felt very bitterly towards. Sakura had been a rather arrogant child and had felt that a princess should not have to share her very own begetting day with anyone else. Seunghyun had been pompous and snotty and had been rather bothered that someone higher ranking than him shared his begetting day. For the first decade of their lives, the feylings were always at the other's heels, snapping and arguing like "uneducated barbarians", as Queen Titania described it. When Sakura and Seunghyun's parents had finally had enough, the two children were sat down and forced to apologize to each other. They had then bonded over an intense hate of their parents' strictness, which was both amusing and frightening to the monarchs and their advisor. Since then, the two terrors had been inseparable, at least until about 20 years ago.

Seunghyun had enlisted as a healing apprentice as soon as he could. Ever since he was young, the fairy had possessed an uncanny interest and knowledge about plants. He had also befriended Xiao, whom as the prince, had quite a few connections. Soon enough, Seunghyun was one of the most experienced and knowledgeable healers in the Silver Isles. Two decades ago, Seunghyun had joined an expedition to the northernmost mountains of the Silver Isles to search for new herbs. Sakura had been terribly angry with him when he had signed up for the expedition without even telling her.

"I am glad you are not so angry with me anymore," chuckled Seunghyun into Sakura's shoulder as she held on to him. "Xiao warned me that you were ready to tear the head off of a bear when you heard." Sakura's warm embrace immediately cooled as her arms stiffened.

"Oh, yes," she muttered to herself. The princess drew back and glared a suddenly nervous Seunghyun in the eye. "I still do not forgive you for that." Her friend glanced down guiltily. "But I shall ignore it for now. I can chop off your head some other time," waved away the fairy airily. The male fairy breathed out in relief, his infamous falsely innocent smile making an appearance. "Now tell me about your journey," ordered Sakura.

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Legolas felt terrible. He had learned the news about Ya Ya's death this morning from a grey-faced Xiao. _Why did Sakura not come to me?_ wondered the wood-elf. _She knows that she can trust me with anything, doesn't she?_ Sakura's detachedness had been bothering him all night long. Although he had gotten her to warm up a little last night, the familiar glimmer in her eyes, that one key element that was Sakura, was missing. The princess seemed to be happy in her home, though. In fact, Legolas was starting to become afraid that she would not return to Middle Earth. Sakura had been speaking less and less of Middle Earth as time went on, and she no longer talked about what she thought the rest of the Fellowship might be doing. It was almost as if she had forgotten about the world that was soon to be destroyed if she did not return. For that reason, Legolas was currently trekking down the hallway towards Sakura's room, which was one of the only paths he had memorized through the enormous palace of the Silver Isles. He approached the familiar wooden double doors and knocked sharply. No response. "**Sakura**?" he called out. There was still no response. Legolas was starting to get worried. "**Sakura?**!" he cried. Frightening images of his beloved companion being tied down to a chair and gagged pressed against his mind as worry swirled through his stomach. After debating internally for a second, Legolas reared up and kicked the door with all his might until the carefully painted wood splintered and gave way. The elf sprinted into the room, expecting to see Sakura in some dangerous situation. Instead, he was faced with a surprisingly different one.

Sakura sat upon her bed, head tucked neatly under a strange male fairy's chin and her eyes glowing with adoration. Her hair was mussed, the sheets were wrinkled, and the male's arms were slung comfortably around her shoulders. Not only did she look deliciously messy, but something about her looked different. The fairy's usual innocently cheerful glow had returned. Rage and jealousy clouded Legolas' mind as he glared at the perplexed male. "**Why did you just blast down my door, Legolas**?" inquired Sakura, the adoration in her eyes fading into confusion. Legolas breathed through his nostrils heavily for a moment.

"**I came to see if you were alright. Clearly, you are more than alright**," said the prince stiffly. Sakura looked bemused for a second before she seemed to realize how the scene appeared.

"**Oh no, Legolas, it is not what you think**!" she cried, struggling to disentwine her limbs from those of the male's.

"**Then pray tell, what are you doing in bed with a strange male, dressed only in your nightgown**?" The princess' temper started to rise at Legolas' accusations.

"**Nothing is going on between me and Seunghyun**," she informed him spitefully. "**He is my childhood friend, one whom I have not seen in more than two decades**." The wood-elf stared right back for a long moment, his stomach burning at the sight of Seunghyun glancing confusedly at him, not understanding a single word but keeping his arm around Sakura's shoulders protectively. Legolas felt a slight twinge of satisfaction as Sakura shrugged Seunghyun's arms off of her and clambered out of bed. "**Why are you here, Legolas**?" she sighed.

"**I only wanted to ask if you were going to be ready to leave within the next couple of days. The Fellowship shall surely be leaving Lothlorien soon, and we must return in time to meet them**," mumbled Legolas quietly. His downcast expression must have revealed his worry, for Sakura's eyes softened as she padded over to Legolas in her soft slippers. The wood-elf lifted his eyes to meet hers as she placed a hand upon his cheek.

"**Fear not, I shall return with you. I will not leave you and Middle Earth to the hands of Sauron,**" she said affectionately, holding Legolas' blue-eyed gaze. The prince stared back, lost in the amethyst depths of her eyes.

"**Promise me**," he breathed. "**Promise me that you shall come with me. Promise me that you won't abandon me in my time of need. I need you**." Sakura smiled tenderly at him.

"**I will**," she promised. "**I would not abandon you, nor would I leave the rest of the Fellowship.**" Legolas hesitated for a second, then wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his cheek against her hair. Sakura embraced him back, and Legolas swore he could feel her heart beating slightly faster than normal. The princess snuggled into his tunic as she breathed in his familiar smell, reveling in the feeling of his lean arms around her body. Suddenly, the elf began to giggle. The fairy drew back and stared at him strangely.

"**What? Your hair tickles**," complained Legolas. "**although I suppose that is to be expected of a caterpillar.**" Sakura glared at him.

"**Stupid sparkly pony**," she muttered, a painful twinge aching in her heart as she remembered Ya Ya's words about sparkly ponies in her last moments.

"Sakura, who is this?" queried a very confused Seunghyun from the bed. Sakura turned back to Seunghyun, seemingly startled that he existed as Legolas glared at the male fairy for interrupting their moment. Sakura made quick introductions as Legolas stiffly inclined his head to the other fairy.

"**I shall leave you two now**," commented Legolas. "**I am supposed to meet Xiao in the gardens soon**." Sakura waved goodbye cheerfully with a cheeky smile and Seunghyun nodded awkwardly.

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As Legolas left the room, Sakura immediately turned back to Seunghyun. "Tell me, tell me, tell me!" she cried. Her best friend sighed dramatically. Right before the elf had entered, Seunghyun had told her rather dramatically that he was in love with someone. Seunghyun turned and stared mock seriously into Sakura's eyes.

"Do you truly wish to know?" he asked, teasing. Sakura bounced up and down, her eyes wide and pleading like a puppy's.

"Yes, yes, yes!" she cried. Seunghyun masked a grin at that.

"Alright, I shall tell you. I met her on the expedition to the mountains. She is the most amazing creature I have ever seen. Her eyes twinkle like midnight stars, her hair is smoother than the night sky, and I could listen to her laugh all day long. Her name is Mei, and I have never seen a more beautiful maiden. And she is smart, too, she is completely fluent in Elvish!" Sakura laughed delightedly at the lovesick expression in her friend's eyes.

"I never thought you to be the mushy, poetic type," she teased him. "But I am glad that you have found someone. Have you told her of your feelings yet?" Seunghyun frowned.

"I am afraid that I have not had a chance to talk to her yet. But soon, I will. I will have her as my wife, and then I shall be the happiest male of any race ever to walk this world." Sakura giggled at her friend's confident tone. The princess flung herself back upon her bed, her expression darkening as her thoughts wandered to the dark recesses in the back of her mind.

"I wonder who Ya Ya would have married if she had lived," she mused quietly. Seunghyun's eyes turned serious.

"It is alright to grieve, Sakura," he told her. "It is alright to be weak for a moment." The princess turned to him, eyes anguished.

"How can I? I am the princess of the Silver Isles. Everyone needs me to be strong." Seunghyun paused to think for a second.

"When my father died," he began quietly. "When he died in battle, it helped me that he left me his old sword. Perhaps if you have something of Ya Ya's, it will be easier for you to handle her passing." Sakura's thoughts flashed to the mysterious package that her niece had left her, but she somehow did not feel like sharing it with Seunghyun. _How strange_, she thought. _I had always felt comfortable talking about anything with Seunghyun. I told him about how I felt about being the heir to the throne, about my first crush, and I even talked to him when I started the monthly bleeding_. The princess smiled faintly as she remembered an adolescent Seunghyun's disgusted reaction as she told him about that one particular aspect of womanhood.

"I do not know," replied Sakura untruthfully, "it would be unfair to take any possession of Ya Ya's now. Jang Mi needs the remnants of her daughter's spirit as well." Seunghyun frowned quietly, sensing that something was wrong with his friend, but Sakura sat back up and waved him off, changing the subject. "Let us talk of happier things. Tell me more about this Mei of yours." The lovesick quality of Seunghyun's eyes returned, and he opened his mouth to start talking again.

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Legolas paced back and forth in his rooms, troubled. This Seunghyun character had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. He had never heard Sakura mention him before, although admittedly, he had not even known her for half a year. _I am just worried that Seunghyun will make Sakura stay in the Silver Isles_, he assured himself although he knew that that was not the true reason he was so annoyed. What really bothered him was that Seunghyun had brought back the sparkle in Sakura's eyes, not him. What did this fairy have that brought Sakura back to her old self that Legolas did not have? Legolas frowned, and his fiery inherited temper began to flare as the question stung at him like a persistent fly at a horse's hide. Worst of all, he was starting to pick up on some Feyish and had heard some maids outside of his door gossiping about what an adorable couple Seunghyun and Sakura would make. He had to admit, Seunghyun was a handsome male that seemed to be a genuinely good person if a little awkward, but then again, Legolas had been highly sought after in Mirkwood as well. This thought in particular angered him, and he snarled as he punched a wall with all his strength, forgetting that the walls were made of moonstone, a very hard and resilient building material. A slight pop and a sharp stab of pain informed him that he had none too gently dislocated his finger. Legolas groaned, smashing his head into the moonstone one last time before heading out towards the healing houses.

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Legolas entered the healing houses a little later after telling Xiao that he was heading to the healing houses first. Healers bustled around, looking slightly frazzled as they tied bundles of herbs together, hanging them from the ceiling when they finished. The prince felt slightly overwhelmed as he realized that while he understood some limited Feyish, he did not know how to speak it. Just as he was about to go find Xiao to ask him to translate, a husky voice came from behind him. "**You look terribly lost, milord**." Legolas turned to find a tall, pretty maiden with misty, dark eyes before him, an amused smirk on her lips.

"**I am afraid that I am lost**," he replied, raising an eyebrow at her fluent Sindarin.

"**You seem to be surprised at my ability to speak Elvish**," chuckled the female, pointing with her chin at his eyebrow. Legolas blushed.

"**Pardon my terrible manners, milady. I just did not know that anyone other than Sakura and Xiao spoke Elvish fluently in the Silver Isles**." Now it was the fairy's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"**So you are on a first-name basis with the royals**," she murmured speculatively. Legolas gulped. This was usually where people started treating him differently. "**Well Legolas, we should probably see to your wound instead of standing here conversing**," said the maiden briskly. The elf gaped at her. "**What**?" asked the healer, smiling lightly. "**The Silver Isles are abuzz with word of a handsome elven prince among us with exceptional archery skills**." Legolas blushed again.

"**Then you have an advantage over me, for I know not your name**," he replied. The fairy smiled at him, her eyes raking his lean body appreciatively.

"**My name is Mei**," she told him. Mei took Legolas' hand and pulled him after her to a secluded healing ward.

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**Silver Isles – February 6, 3019**

Legolas was, yet again, pacing, this time before the throne room where Sakura had been holding a meeting with her mother. He and Sakura were due to return to Middle Earth soon lest they miss the Fellowship's departure from Lothlorien, but everytime he had brought it up, Sakura had brushed it off and told him that they would leave soon. He knew that they needed to leave today, and yet Sakura had still not shown him any sign of being ready to leave. The doors of the throne room swung open and a steady stream of delegates poured out, Sakura not close behind. "**Sakura**!" cried Legolas gratefully as the princess exited.

"**Legolas**," smiled Sakura. "**What would you like to talk to me about?"** Legolas frowned at that. Every time he had tried to talk to her in the last few days, she had asked him what he wanted, as if he had to have an excuse to talk to her.

"**Sakura, it is time for us to return to Middle Earth**," he told her firmly. "**If we do not leave today, I fear that we shall miss the Fellowship's departure from Lothlorien**." Sakura sighed.

"**Legolas, I do not know if I can leave right now**," she muttered.

"**Why**?" cried Legolas, frustrated with his friend.

"**I have duties**!" defended Sakura. Legolas pulled the fairy into a more private corridor.

"**You promised me**," he reminded her in a lowered voice. "**You promised me that you would not abandon Middle Earth in its time of need**." Sakura's eyebrows drew together.

"**I am still grieving over Ya Ya, believe it or not**," she hissed back. "**I need time here, I need to recover**." Legolas' forehead creased. This was not the Sakura he knew. The Sakura he knew was selfless and caring, risking her life to save Frodo and leaving behind her home nation to save a world that was not her own. Yet Sakura was also stubborn, and he could see that she was resolute on remaining behind.

"**Even if you choose to stay behind, I must go**," he told her quietly. Sakura's violet eyes filled with hurt. Why was he leaving her behind? "**'Tis my duty**," Legolas murmured. "**I promised to protect Frodo from any harm, which I cannot do from so far away. I made a promise, and I intend to keep it**." Sakura winced as she heard the unspoken _unlike you_.

"**But who would fly you back**?" she countered desperately, trying to make him stay. She cared deeply for Legolas, to a point where she was not sure if she could bear to lose him. For him to leave her so soon after the death of her niece was cruel.

"**Xiao could, or Zhuang**!" cried Legolas, but Sakura was already shaking her head.

"**No**," she replied. "**You saw how Aragorn reacted when Zhuang arrived. He would not like it if a male brought you back**." The wood-elf sighed grudgingly, recognizing that this was true. "**So you see, no one can bring you back**!" cried the princess triumphantly.

"**That is not true**," commented a velvety voice from the edge of the corridor. "**I could bring the prince back**." Legolas and Sakura turned around.

"**Mei**?"

**OK, the plot is slowly starting to move out of the Silver Isles (finally). I will try to update soon. In the meanwhile, guess on my age if you want and please read and review!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize.**

**Hi everybody, I am SO sorry that it has been two whole weeks since I updated! I am usually pretty good about updating every week, but… let's just say that I was really busy. Anyways, this is an extra-long chapter this time, so enjoy!**

**Sage – It's OK! Don't cry! It's all going to get better… eventually. Keep reading and reviewing please!**

**Demonsprout – The best? You're blowing up my head too much! Awww thank you so much. Thanks for the review, and please keep reading and reviewing!**

**Jessie – Glad you like it! Yes, Haldir is an amazingly… amazing… elf. Maybe I will plan something for him... Hmm…. I shall speculate about that as I write… Anyways, thank goodness midterms are almost over! Maybe I will be able to update more often now.**

**Guest – Yay, thank you! I will try my best, but hey, what's a story without a good bit of angst?**

**Blech – Well, you commented twice so I am just going to respond once :). Either way, thanks for the criticism. Although I didn't quite like the scathing, caustic candy shell, I did appreciate the criticism on the inside. I'm sorry to hear you don't like the story so far, but I must say, there is a reason that Titania and Oberon's names are so different from their children's names, which I have been hinting at since the Fellowship's arrival in Lothlorien. Furthermore, I promise you that I am not trying to promote stereotypes. Being a proud Asian myself, I most definitely do not think that all Asian languages are the same. If those stereotypes were true, I would be fluent in a whole lot more languages :). Also, I would have been more open to the idea of a queen joining the Fellowship if the country of the Silver Isles was not so predominantly ruled by a female. I do not think that any decent queen whom possessed most of the power in her country would shirk her duties for the fate of a world that is not hers; in fact she would probably send a trusted advisor or child, which is exactly what Titania did in this case. Anyways, thank you for the review(s) once again, and I promise I will try harder to make it less "sparkly and perfect and Disney-ish".**

**Floweringbirdies – Huh, maybe FF was doing some reconstruction, but hey, it's all good! You're here now, and that makes me really happy! Well, we'll see how the story progresses.**

**Wonderpanda10 – I love new readers! I am glad to hear that you like it so far, and my fingers are flying across the keyboard right now!**

**Kadee son 12345 – Will do :)!**

**ZabuzasGirl – Working on it!**

**Hel daughter of Loki – Oh dear, I do hope that I haven't permanently made you depressed :P. I am very happy to hear that!**

**Also, thank you so much to everyone who favorited and/or followed **_**Wings**_**! Anyways, I think that concludes announcements for this chapter (I feel like a teacher when I write that), so here we go!**

Chapter 16

Sakura's head whipped around as her ears tingled. Mei? Could this possibly be the Mei that Seunghyun was so enamored with? The fairy's sharp eyes alighted upon a tall, curvy maiden. Mei's features were less delicate than most female fairies, her bone structure slightly more chiseled than the more narrow faces of other fairies. Her eyes were spirited yet somehow mysteriously dark, and her lush body was unusually curvy considering that most fairy maidens were slender and slim, not unlike elven females. A smirk painted itself upon the princess' lips, a giggle threatening to burst out as she remembered Seunghyun's lovesick expression. She could certainly see her best friend chasing after this maiden. As Sakura came out of her trance, still grinning like a fool, her eyes darted to Legolas and caught on his face. The chortle dropped from the princess' lips as she watched Legolas scan Mei appreciatively, his blue eyes smiling at the other fairy who seemed to be enjoying the attention quite a bit. Her brow creasing, Sakura gripped her skirts tightly as she watched her friend examine her other friend's love interest. _Well, that is quite enough of that_, she thought to herself furiously. With a wave of her hand as to draw Legolas' attention back to herself, Sakura turned to Mei. "**And how would you suggest that?"** she queried. Mei's smooth eyebrow arched.

"**I suppose I would take Prince Legolas back the same way you brought him here – flying**," Mei replied brusquely. Legolas couldn't repress a snort at that, amused that this fiery maiden dared to challenge her own monarch. _Women in the Silver Isles certainly are different_, he concluded internally. Sakura slowly turned towards the prince as her violet eyes froze over, and Legolas paused mid-chortle. Back stiffening, chin lifting, the heiress to the throne sent an icy glare over at the elf, who was now gulping nervously.

"**I was not literally asking you how you would take him back, I was wondering how your idea was justified. Our companions did not trust me, why would they trust you**?" Sakura's eyes glinted angrily, but Legolas did not seem to notice.

"**I think they would trust her**," he piped up. "**The lady Mei seems much more open than you. The hobbits would surely enjoy her presence**." Upon seeing the look upon Sakura's face, Legolas instantly regretted his words, but his pride did not allow him to apologize. Sakura's eyes flashed with fury for a moment before she managed to compose herself. The prince cursed himself silently as he conveniently remembered that Sakura had some issues trusting anyone, let alone someone who had treated her so cruelly based upon unjustified assumptions. Even Mei had recognized the folly in his words, and she breathed in sharply. The princess turned to him and inclined her head slightly.

"**Legolas, I understand that you are still bitter that I cannot accompany you back**," she told him softly. "**But I promise you that** -"

"**No more**!" cried Legolas, enraged at the mention of another promise. "**No more of your empty promises. You are being weak and selfish. An entire world is at stake, and you want to cower in your home and hide behind the pretense that you are still grieving over your niece while a sole hobbit is charged with the task of infiltrating Mordor and destroying the One Ring**!"

Sakura stiffened. "**I see. Well then,** **please inform our companions that I shall be joining them shortly, assuming that they take the path of the Anduin River as the Lady Galadriel has informed my mother.**" With that, she turned upon her heel and strode back towards her rooms, her punctured pride and tortured heart weeping tears of blood. Legolas groaned and sank to the floor with his head in his hands, his nimble fingers pulling angrily on his silky golden hair. Mei's sultry demeanor had seemingly disintegrated as Sakura turned around the corner, and she seated herself beside the distraught elf.

"**She shall never forgive me**," moaned Legolas.

"**Oh yes she will,"** countered Mei. "**The entire nation knows that the princess is quick to anger yet quick to forgive when her loved ones wrong her**."

"**But this is different**!" protested Legolas. "**I knew that she was uneasy trusting me so soon after meeting me, and I still violated her trust in me**." Mei chuckled richly.

"**Oh, trust me – the princess is terrible at holding grudges. If not for her habit of timely forgiveness, Lord Seunghyun would have been dead and in the ground by now**," the fairy informed the prince cheerfully, her eyes sparkling. Legolas' lips curved up gently. "**Well, we should probably depart now**," Mei continued, pushing Legolas to his feet. "**Lest you wish to completely miss your companions, we should leave sometime in the next hour.**"

"**But – but what about your bags**?" stuttered Legolas, surprised at Mei's brisk attitude towards leaving her homeland.

"**Oh, come now. I knew that the princess would not leave with you and that you needed to go back, so I packed earlier. While the lady's word is not easily broken, that little feyling niece of hers was close to her heart. Yin Ya's death has greatly grieved the entire nation,**" murmured Mei. Legolas felt a sharp stab of guilt as he remembered his recent conversation with Sakura as he pressured her to abandon her niece's funeral arrangements and save Middle Earth. _Perhaps I should not have expected her to be so selfless_, mused Legolas sadly. _Heaven knows if my nieces or nephews were dead, I would not risk my neck for the Silver Isles, as glorious as this country is_. The elf prince forced a noncommittal smile to form upon his lips as he helped Mei to her feet.

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Sakura lay upon her bed, her heart throbbing with pain and indecisive guilt. Confusing thoughts and scenarios whirled busily through her head as she mindlessly shredded a sakura blossom with her troubled fingers. A sharp rap captured her attention, and the princess raised her head tiredly. "Come in!" she called. The doors swung open, and Queen Titania drifted into her daughter's rooms. "Mother?" asked Sakura, eyes befuddled. Titania had been extremely busy of late, communicating with Galadriel and the likes. The eldest princess had not been able to visit personally with her mother since she had returned, and it was strange to see the queen out and about without ink staining her fingers or stray smudges of sealing wax streaked across her face.

"Ai, my daughter," exclaimed Titania. When the queen did not continue, Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Did you require my presence for a meeting, mother?" she questioned cautiously. Titania arched her own eyebrow, a little startled at her daughter's brisk reply.

"Can a mother not simply speak to her daughter without an excuse?" the queen asked. Sakura lowered her eyes guiltily. She seemed to be doing that a lot recently - that is, asking people what they wanted as if they needed an excuse just to be in her presence. She could not help it that being raised as a princess had taught her that every move she made was important; Sakura was used to always fulfilling someone else's requests, to never having much free time to socialize and have fun. Well, now she was sick and tired of being selfless and always helping people. She had agreed to go off on some random mission in the Far West that she had no information about, she had consented to aid a diminutive hobbit in a suicide mission to bring down a Dark Lord whose sphere of influence did not include her homeland, and she had risked her own life to save said hobbit. Sakura had given away part of herself here, and another part there, and only now was she finding that she no longer had enough for herself.

"Mother, I am so… confused," Sakura whispered emptily, her fingers stroking the tattered remains of the sakura petals. Titania seated herself next to her daughter.

"What is it, dearest?" she probed. When she received no reply, a suggestive twinkle alit in the queen's eyes. "Does it have anything to do with a certain fiercely handsome elven prince that you brought home?" Sakura flushed scarlet as she gently slapped Titania's hand.

"Mother!" she protested. "We are only friends, nothing more!" Titania chuckled knowingly.

"And that is what I said about your father back when Galadriel was teasing me about my relationship with him," she informed her daughter, "and look where we are now! Married with 14 children! Now I do not consider that just friends." Sakura smacked her mother lightly as the queen laughed uproariously at the look on her daughter's face. The queen appeared regal and firm before her people, but those who knew her personally also knew that Titania was actually quite lacking in composure. Sakura paused for a moment.

"Well, perhaps it does have a little bit to do with Legolas," she admitted grudgingly, ignoring the victorious look on her mother's face. "Of course I still maintain that we are only friends, but I am worried because of him. I promised him and the entire Fellowship that I would return with him before the Fellowship departed from Lorien, yet I find that I cannot leave the Silver Isles so soon. Ya Ya has only just left us, I do not think that I could bear to leave the one place where she once occupied right now. Am I being selfish? Is Legolas right, am I just hiding behind Ya Ya's death?" Titania's eyes turned gentle.

"Only you know the contents of your heart, love," she murmured, stroking her daughter's silky hair silently. "But you should go see off Legolas. I am sure he would want to see you." Sakura sighed.

"I doubt that Legolas would wish to see me. He is probably too angry with me right now." The queen frowned at this, but Sakura had already lain back in her bed, exhausted. "Mother, I think I shall go to bed now. It has been a long day." Knowing that this was a dismissal, Titania sighed and rose to her feet. With a sweep of her skirts, the queen swept regally from her daughter's rooms.

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**Silver Isles – Evening of February 6, 3019**

Legolas and Mei stood before the gates to the Silver Isles, Legolas looking slightly dejected and Mei bouncing on her heels excitedly. The elf prince scanned the path to the palace for any sign of Sakura, but it seemed that the princess had neglected to see him off. _It is probably for the best_, rationalized his inner voice. _She would be too angry with you anyways. It would not be a good way to part. _Yet another part of him worried quietly that this was not a good way to part either. Zhuang and Xiao had come to see them off, and surprisingly enough, even Seunghyun had arrived for reasons unclear to Legolas. All he knew was that Seunghyun had fixed him with a gaze so furious that he was shocked that he had not simply shriveled up and disintegrated into dust right there. Mei squeezed his shoulder to pull his attention from his thoughts, her cheerful demeanor suggesting that she had not detected his grave mood. "**Let us go!**" she squealed joyfully. "**I am ever so excited. I have dreamed of visiting the Far West and learning more of the cultures there ever since I was a feyling!**" Legolas groaned internally. Mei was an amusing fairy, but she was not very empathetic at all.

"**All right, let me just get one last look of the Silver Isles**," the elf murmured, absorbing the ambient aura of the land of the fairies, perhaps for the last time. Mei smacked his arm.

"**That is enough looking now**," she complained. "**Now let us depart**!" Legolas frowned, but wrapped his arms around her waist as Mei unfurled her wings. It was rather strange how whenever Sakura was around, Mei acted so much more seductive, but when it was just the two of them, Mei was more playful. He wondered which personality was truly Mei. Mei's wings, green and gold in nature, fluttered gently in the wind before churning the air more powerfully.

Legolas, now more accustomed to the odd sensation of flying, allowed his mind to wander yet again. He thought of Sakura and what she was doing right now, and his heart ached the further he flew from her. Was she really still that furious with him? Would she make good on her promise to meet the Fellowship by the Anduin? Would he ever see her again? That last question made him squeeze his eyes shut in pain as he tried to imagine never encountering Sakura ever again. Never seeing her eyes sparkle with laughter, never hearing her lilting accent as she spoke the Common Tongue again, never watching her clap delightedly as she learned something new, seemed impossible to Legolas. It was as if nothing was more important than seeing Sakura again. _Nothing but destroying the ring_, corrected Legolas' internal voice again. _After all, you are leaving her behind in the midst of her grief to destroy the ring._ Legolas winced and internally shouted at his internal voice to leave him alone, yet to no avail. _You left her behind!_ cried the voice, louder and more passionate this time. _You left her behind after calling her selfish and cowardly and weak when she is none of those things. It is not fair for you to expect her to be perfect, for you certainly are not!_ Legolas groaned aloud and smacked himself in the head as hard as he could in an effort to make the voice shut up but accidentally hitting Mei as she squirmed. "**Ouch**!" she cried in protest. "**What a way to thank me for taking you back to Middle Earth. Slap me in the head, why don't you?**" Legolas could not help but laugh at her reaction as she protested vehemently.

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**Silver Isles – February 7, 3019**

Legolas and Mei had landed for a brief respite, and were now huddled around a fire in the brisk morning cold. Mei was stirring a pot of spiced stew while Legolas found his thoughts turning once again to Sakura. Suddenly, something occurred to him.

"**Mei, may I ask you a question**?" he queried. Mei looked up from her stew.

"**Yes, I suppose so**," she replied, slightly perplexed at his serious tone.

"**Sakura mentioned that Lady Galadriel informed Queen Titania that the Fellowship would be following the path of the Anduin River**."

"**And**?"

"**How does Lady Galadriel know of the fairies? In fact, she was the one who recognized Sakura to be a fairy upon first sight**," realized Legolas. Mei's eyes widened.

"**Are you telling me that you have spent all that time with Xiao and never learned an ounce of the Silver Isles' history**?" she asked disbelievingly. Legolas blushed ashamedly.

"**He talks a lot**," he complained. "**'Tis not possible to pay attention to everything he says.**" Mei grinned.

"**I would agree, but then I suppose that would be treason**," she admitted. "**Well anyways, the reason that Lady Galadriel knows of the fairies is that we fairies once lived in Valinor**." Legolas' eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"**What? Why have I never heard of fairies before then**?" Mei hushed him impatiently.

"**Let me continue. The fairies were not created by Eru Iluvatar. When Aule was creating the Moon, he discovered that he had quite a bit of extra material. For a while he was troubled, for he could not just throw away the material of the Moon lest there end up being another Moon accidentally created by the extra material. Therefore, Iluvatar granted him the temporary ability to create his own people. Aule was the creator of both the fairies and the dwarves, although the dwarves came much later and without the consent of Iluvatar. The fairies were given some land in Valinor, which they named the Silver Isles. Galadriel was born during the Years of the Trees, when the Silver Isles were still connected to the mainland of Valinor. She and Queen Titania grew up together as childhood friends, and both developed mental powers, as you have no doubt experienced with Lady Galadriel. Through these mental powers they learned to communicate over great distances, which came into use when Galadriel left for Middle Earth. Yet as Feanor's Noldor followers slayed their Teleri brethren, Titania's father, then king, arrived to aid the Teleri. However, he arrived too late and was slaughtered as well. When Titania's mother learned of her husband's death, she was overcome by grief and fear for the wellbeing of her people. Not wanting the Noldor to invade the Silver Isles, she begged Aule to separate the Silver Isles from Valinor, which he consented to do. Aule moved the Silver Isles to a special place enchanted so that only by flying towards the moon can one reach it. The queen then began the tradition of having a female rule the nation instead of a male**." Legolas frowned at this story, feeling guilty that his own people had driven such wondrous creatures from Valinor. He wondered if he would have made the same decision as Titania's mother, to completely isolate her people.

"**What was Titania's mother's name**?" he asked.

"**Iheithian**," replied Mei simply. "**Freedom. It seems that she was destined to free the fairies from their fear of death by the hands of the Noldor**." Legolas arched an eyebrow.

"**Her name is an Elvish name**," he stated. "**If fairies and their names originated in Valinor, then why are names so different in the Silver Isles**?" Mei laughed.

"**Surely you do not expect us not to evolve**," she admonished as Legolas blushed again. "**Just as Middle Earth has gone through ages, the Silver Isles has as well. In fact, we are in the Fourth Age now. Each Age has added a new language**."

"**Truly**?" breathed Legolas. "**No wonder it has been so difficult for me to pick up Feyish. Does this mean that Zhuang, being older than Sakura, was named in a different language**?" Mei paused to think for a second.

"**In this case, yes. However, when it comes to naming children it really does depend on the parents. Some parents like one Age's language a bit better than the others, and therefore name all of their children in one particular language. The Feyish we regularly use is a mixture of all of the languages we have developed. However, all of the languages have common roots. For example, the phrase "really" in the First Age was pronounced "jinjia" while in the Second Age it was pronounced "jinja". Now it is pronounced "jende"."** Legolas set his head in his hands, mulling over the massive amount of information he had just received. Mei giggled at his expression before handing him a steaming bowl of stew. The elf hungrily dipped his spoon into the stew and shoveled it into his mouth before turning purple and spitting it back out again.

"**What did you make this with**?" he asked casually, his tongue burning. Mei smiled innocently.

"**Chi-Chien pepper seeds**," she replied cheerfully, holding up a familiar mahogany box. Legolas gulped_. Looks like I am going hungry today_.

**Alright, that's it for this chapter! I will try to update soon, but I work for a newspaper and I have to make deadline, so no promises. Anyways, I may also potentially be posting another story since plot bunnies are attacking my head right now and don't want to get out. It'll be a short story, maybe a oneshot or twoshot, but if you want, you can read it. It isn't up yet, but keep an eye out! In the meantime, read and review as usual.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything that you recognize!**

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**Sage – Don't worry, no heartbreak in this next chapter really. Well… we'll see about everything being alright in the end :). Hmmm…. Probably shouldn't have given that away. Oh well. Please keep reading and reviewing because I totally love you and all reviewers!**

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**I AM BACK! Huge thank you to everyone who read, followed, favorite, or reviewed this story. I LOVE YOU ALL! **

Chapter 16

**Lothlorien - February 16, 3019**

"Strider! Strider! You must see this!" Aragorn sighed and turned away from his bags as Merry and Pippin sprinted into the clearing.

"What is it now?" he mumbled wearily, bracing himself. Ever since the Fellowship had arrived in Lothlorien, the hobbits, Merry and Pippin in particular, had constantly been calling Aragorn over to see a particularly pretty **elanor** flower or an especially tall **mallorn** tree. At first, the ranger had been amused to see the hobbits so enamored with Lothlorien. Yet after all, there was only so much that one man, future king of Gondor or not, could handle. Pippin skidded to a stop, his wayward red hair flopping comically as Merry nearly crashed into him.

"They're back!" Pippin cried, waving his hands dramatically over at the trees from which he had emerged from. Aragorn glanced at him curiously.

"Who is back?" he asked. Merry grinned widely.

"Oh, you'll never guess, Strider!"

"Who is it?" the ranger asked.

"Guess!"

"You just said that I would never guess!" replied Aragorn, irritated.

"Well try anyways, and prove that I am right," ordered Merry. Aragorn moaned and set his head in his hands.

"Just tell me, please!" he complained.

"Well –" began Merry.

"You shall never doubt her again, Strider," gloated Pippin merrily as Merry glared at him for interrupting. Aragorn's ears perked up.

"Her?" he asked cautiously.

"You gave it away," complained Merry. Pippin shrugged noncommittally.

"Answer the question, for Eru's sake!" shouted Aragorn.

"Ah, yes. Lady Sakura has returned, as we knew that she would!" cried Merry proudly. The future king of Gondor gaped at him. The hobbits had been insisting that they trusted the fairy princess to return. Aragorn had been attempting to prevent them from getting their hopes too high, but to no avail. Merry and Pippin were young and innocent, too quick to trust and too slow to understand. The future king of Gondor worried internally that when the wake-up call came, the hobbits would be shattered. _Yet perhaps that day shall not be this day_, he thought to himself. _I did not trust the fairy to return, but I suppose she has._

"Strider, they are over there, in that grove of trees right there! I saw them, Legolas was in a winged figure's arms. It must be Lady Sakura!" Pippin tugged on Aragorn's sleeve rapidly, and the ranger couldn't help but to chuckle at the hobbit's excitement and follow their enthusiastic footsteps. Meanwhile, Boromir had perked up considerably at the aspect of being in the company of Sakura once more. Forcing his mind from the ring, the Gondorian stood and raced after the hobbits as well. As word spread that the mysterious fairy princess had returned, the rest of the Fellowship was alerted and headed towards the grove as well.

Aragorn strode broadly towards the grove, his mind light at the thought of seeing his elvish friend once more. _Maybe Sakura is more trustworthy than I thought_, he mused. _Perhaps this grudge I have held against her has been held long enough_. Through the trees before him, the ranger spotted the gleam of Legolas' golden hair. "Legolas!" he cried merrily, leaping forwards to greet his friend. The Mirkwood prince turned, his surprised face morphing into one of delight.

"Estel!" called Legolas, striding forwards to grip Aragorn's arm tightly. As they exchanged greetings, Aragorn noticed Sakura's cloaked figure shifting uncomfortably. Suddenly, the man's expression turned guarded. Sakura seemed a bit taller and more curvaceous than the last time he had seen her. Furthermore, he did not remember her wings being green and gold. Legolas followed his friend's gaze and his smile turned slightly uncomfortable. "Estel, this is Mei. I befriended her in the Silver Isles, and she was kind enough to take me back to Middle Earth." Merry and Pippin stopped and turned to each other.

"Merry, why isn't Lady Sakura here?" asked Pippin sadly. Merry paused, thinking of how to word his reply without hurting his cousin's feelings.

"Pip, I don't think she's coming. She stayed at home." Pippin's eyes widened.

"But she promised!" he cried. "She promised us!"

"Maybe we never truly knew her too well," replied Merry grimly. "After all, we never did talk to her much."

"But she is part of the Fellowship! She is one of us, she must be a good fairy who keeps her promises," insisted Pippin. Merry gazed upon his cousin forlornly.

"Hush, Pippin. Maybe Legolas will tell us more."

Meanwhile, Frodo drew in a fearful breath as Aragorn's eyes hardened. "What?" he asked dangerously in a low voice. "Legolas, you were dispatched to the Silver Isles so that you could bring the princess back when it was time."

"Estel –" began Legolas helplessly.

"NO!" the ranger bellowed as the entire Fellowship gaped behind him. "I have had enough of this fairy princess. She thinks that she can come and go as she wishes, and that we shall cater to her every whim. First she hid her identity from us, then she abandoned us, and now she is breaking her promise not only to return but also to aid Frodo!"

"Estel you are not –"

"What she is telling us by not returning is that she doesn't care about Frodo or Middle Earth anymore, and that she does not believe in any of us! Well Sakura can fall into the pits of Mordor for all I –"

"**SHUT YOUR INSOLENT MOUTH**!" The grove fell into an awed silence as everyone turned to Mei, who had removed her hood and was now glaring viciously at Aragorn. While only Aragorn and Legolas understood what she had said in Elvish, the rest of the Fellowship could guess what she had said. "**Please allow Legolas to speak**," said Mei coldly. "**And do remember that Lady Sakura is my princess and that such remarks from your mouth are insulting to all whom are represented by her.**" Gimli stared at Mei.

"Well that is definitely not Sakura," he muttered into his beard. "Sakura would not have been so bold to say anything in that tone to Aragorn." Merry and Pippin's mouths were dropped in identical little o's.

"Say Pip," murmured Merry in awe.

"Yeah, Merry?" replied Pippin.

"This one is different from Sakura. Really different."

"I know. She's more… hobbit-like and loud."

"I like her."

"Me too, Merry." While the hobbits discussed Mei, Boromir was glowering at Mei as if blaming her for not being Sakura. _Why is she not here_? he wondered angrily. _It is her duty to be here. I want her here. I need her here. This fairy does not have the same personality. She is loud and lively, that is for sure, and if it were any other situation I would probably prefer her company to Sakura's. But right now, I need the princess. _The ring snarled at him as it detected this thought.

_No, no fairy princess,_ it hissed. _We do not need her. She has abandoned you. You must make for Gondor, you must take it to your father. No diminutive hobbit can stand against all of the forces of Mordor. You said it yourself at the Council, it would be folly. Take the ring to Gondor, and you shall be rewarded._

_ NO!_ cried Boromir bravely inside his head. The ring growled again, and both Frodo and Boromir shuddered as the power of the ring throbbed viciously. Yet none of the others in the grove seemed to detect it.

"If you would allow me to speak, my friend," said Legolas delicately, not wishing to charge the situation any further. "Sakura has only just lost her niece. While it may have been atrocious timing, the blame cannot be placed upon her."

"Oh yes it can," muttered Aragorn under his breath.

"She has promised to join us upon the banks of the Anduin later on." The ring began to snarl once more.

_You see_? it jeered. _She will never come back for you. The fairy leaves you all to your deaths. You shall see when your body is filled with arrows, when the realm of Gondor collapses_. An image of the White City in ruins filled Boromir's distraught mind, and he could not help but to let out a distressed cry.

"Empty promises!" he cried, speaking for the first time. "The fairy makes promises that she cannot keep!" Mei, who had by now learned to understand parts of the Common Tongue from Legolas, turned her fiery gaze upon him, her hand drifting threateningly to the enormous broadsword strapped to her body. Boromir drew back like a kicked dog. Pippin and Merry, who had never seen the powerful Gondorian scolded before, exchanged amused grins.

"No more getting yelled at by Boromir for not getting footwork right," gloated Pippin happily. "We can just send Lady Mei after him, and I would bet a whole bag of mushrooms that he'd back right off."

"You're right," whispered Merry loudly. "I definitely like her." Mei sent an amused glance over and winked mischievously at Legolas. Aragorn was still muttering to himself about the unreliability of women in general. Suddenly, Gimli spoke up, playing the role of the voice of reason for once.

"We cannot control how the lady acts," he pointed out. "The time to depart dear Lorien approaches rapidly. As for me, I would like to catch one last glimpse of the fair Lady Galadriel before we leave, and if we do not leave soon I fear that it shall be too dark for me to properly behold her glory."

"Aye!" cried Boromir, who had never quite warmed up to Lothlorien. "Let us depart! To Gondor we go, to the White City we travel!" Aragorn and Legolas exchanged worried glances, but neither had the heart to remind the Gondorian that the Fellowship had never agreed to bring the ring to Gondor. Aragorn took a deep breath, calmer after having his tantrum, and nodded his chin towards Mei.

"And what of her? Are we to bring another defenseless fey maiden with us?" asked the ranger rather rudely. Legolas turned to Mei, and Mei gnashed her teeth and stuck her tongue out at Aragorn. Aragorn paused in disbelief. "You – you -" he spluttered. The maiden flashed an insolent grin as Legolas stifled a chuckle.

"**Since the scruffy, smelly man seems to think that it is perfectly polite to speak about me as if I am not here, I shall return the favor**," sniffed Mei haughtily. "**Dear Legolas, do tell said scruffy, smelly man that neither I nor my princess are defenseless. I shall accompany the Fellowship at least until Princess Sakura returns. When that occurs, I shall consult with her and make my decision of whether or not to travel to Mordor**."

Aragorn turned to the chortling Legolas hopelessly. "How does she know of Mordor and the ring? And how on Middle Earth does she understand the Common Tongue so well when it took Sakura ages to learn it?" Legolas paused to think for a second.

"Well, everyone in the Silver Isles knows of the discovery of the ring since their eldest princess is currently part of the Fellowship, and Lady Mei is a scholar. She is greatly interested in languages as well as healing and is an exceptionally quick learner." Aragorn frowned.

"Not that you would know she is smart upon first sight," he mumbled. Mei's mouth made a popping sound as her teeth ground together.

"**Legolas**," she said calmly. "**Do remind the scruffy, smelly man that he will be stuck on a clumsy boat for the next couple of days while I will be in the air and in a perfect position to knock him into the water and give him a much-needed bath**." Legolas grinned cheerfully at Aragorn.

"Are you not almost missing Sakura now?" he asked innocently. The man just growled, his face turning ruddier than Gimli's when the dwarf conversed with Lady Galadriel.

"Pack up!" he shouted, turning his back upon the very amused elf and fairy. "We leave within the hour!" Mei grinned at Legolas and turned to acquaint herself with the hobbits. Legolas sighed melancholically, his mind wandering as he remembered the hobbits' forlorn faces upon discovering that Sakura had not returned.

"Oh Sakura," he mumbled to himself, holding an image of her delicate face in his mind. "Do come and join us soon."

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**Silver Isles – February 18, 3019**

It had been over a week since Legolas and Mei had left, and only now had Sakura realized the folly of her mistake in not returning with Legolas. She missed the elf's easy companionship, his solid presence and willingness to listen. Sure, Seunghyun was a wonderful friend, but something was different. Seunghyun's heart had been given to Mei, so it almost seemed as if Seunghyun was more distant now, farther away from her own. And Sakura had admitted to herself that her heart was at least partly lost to Legolas, which distanced her from her childhood friend as well.

The princess wondered idly what Legolas was doing at the moment. _He is probably rowing on the waters of the Anduin River with Mei right now_, she thought wistfully. How she wished she had joined him. Sakura knew that she would have been distraught at missing Ya Ya's funeral, but now she feared losing Legolas to Mei. The fey maiden was vivid and social, much less afraid to make friends and trust than Sakura. Mei was an open fairy, and loyal as well. Sakura admitted to herself that Mei was also quite beautiful, probably more attractive than she herself was, and her stomach roiled as she thought of Legolas seeing exactly what she saw in Mei. Every night, she dreamed of the elf's handsome features, but every night she also dreamed of his warm gaze as he looked upon Mei. _Whatever shall I do_? she thought hopelessly. _And not just me, whatever shall Seunghyun do?_ Sakura knew that her friend would die without the acceptance of his love. While his physical body may not pass on, she could very well imagine Seunghyun's mind withering away as he lost himself in pools of grief. The healer loved Mei with all his heart, and that was not something to be taken lightly. The fairy princess sank down upon her bed miserably, not knowing what to do. _Oh Aule_, she thought, _please show me what to do_. All of a sudden, a small package caught her eye. It was Ya Ya's gift to her.

Sakura picked it up and stroked it tenderly, her eyes misting over. Her niece's funeral had been an awful ordeal. The entire nation had shown up to mourn the loss of their beloved princess, and the skies had turned dark with the grief of the fairies as they wailed and bemoaned the death of Ya Ya. Worst of all, it had been a new moon that night, and the inhabitants of the Silver Isles had had no light to comfort them in the blackness of the overwhelming night. The eldest princess had ignored her niece's gift up until now, hoping desperately that perhaps if she never opened it, she would never have to accept Ya Ya's death. _It is time now_, she realized. _It is time to accept that Ya Ya is gone_.

With trembling hands and a fluttering heartbeat, she carefully picked apart the fraying string and unwrapped the paper, careful to preserve her niece's sloppy handwriting upon the paper. A thick book lay in her hands, its musky brown cover wrinkled and stained from grass and mud. Sakura smiled thickly. Ya Ya had always been the type of feyling to beg her mother to sleep outdoors under the moon, and Jang Mi had had a terrible time cleaning her daughter's clothing. She could just imagine Ya Ya slinging the book around casually as she lay under a tree as Jang Mi lectured her about proper etiquette. Jang Mi and her husband were clearly still grieving, but they remained alive, living a bittersweet life. Jang Mi had discovered naught but two weeks after her daughter's death that she was with child once more. The night that she had discovered her pregnancy, Jang Mi had dashed into Sakura's rooms, bawling with both joy and anguish. Ya Ya had died merely two weeks before she would have received the news of the one thing she truly wished for, another sibling to play with and dote upon.

A crystalline tear fell upon the book, and Sakura hastily wiped it off, sniffing quietly. _Fairy princesses don't cry_, she told herself sternly. Before she could lose her courage, she opened the book. The first page was a messily sketched drawing of what appeared to be Jang Mi, her husband, and Sakura. The princess could not help but to tearfully chuckle as she recognized a sparkly purple pony at her side. Continuing to flip through the book, Sakkura gazed at more and more scribbles and paintings that her niece had created. Suddenly, she reached the last page and paused.

It was a drawing of a fairy that was clearly labeled as 'Auntie Sakura' next to a sparkly pony labeled 'Uncle Legolas'. While this seemed to be a common theme in Ya Ya's pictures, the thing that had made Sakura pause was that there seemed to be four children sketched at her feet. Each child seemed to be half pony and half fairy, and Sakura groaned at her niece's childish audacity. _Not as if there will ever be any such children_, she thought bitterly. _Legolas seems to have fallen for Mei, and I suppose that Seunghyun's heart will be broken along with mine. It appears as if Ya Ya's final wish will never be_. Suddenly, Sakura had an epiphany. _Thank you, Aule_! she cried. _Thank you, my beloved Ya Ya_! At that moment, she knew what she had to do.

The fairy shut the book tenderly and stuck her head beneath her bed, madly flipping through boxes and bags. "Aha!" she cried, latching onto her dusty travel bags. She leapt to her feet and began tossing random articles of clothing into her bag, carefully placing Ya Ya's book at the bottom. "'Tis time to return to Middle Earth!"

**There we go, new chapter! Since I do not nor have I ever had any prewritten chapters, sorry if this is taking a while. Anyways, please please read and review or favorite or follow! Reviews kick my butt into action, so if you want an update fast, please do review. Constructive criticism is welcome, and if anyone knows how to fix the strange formatting with underlines, please PM me or review. Thanks, and until next chapter!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize.**

**Dhalmi93 – YES! Sakura is going back! Thanks for reviewing!**

**Whenpigsfly – Thank you thank you thank you! You make me so happy!**

**Sage – Hehe… you are just going to have to wait until the end. I think I have something planned out that will be semi-bittersweet.**

**Demonsprout – Hey, and today is the Day of the Dead! Get it? Decorating gravestones? Day of the Dead? Yeah, OK. I am being strange.**

**Mjg43 – We shall see his reaction next chapter! I tried to update soon :/**

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**OK loyal readers, from here on out this story will be really really really AU. Like, extremely AU. The plot is going to be almost completely different. Just a warning. Therefore, it may take a little longer for me to update. And for Jessie (I'm not sure if you're still reading since you haven't reviewed in a while), here's some Haldir for you! Read on!**

Chapter 18

**Lothlorien – February 25, 3019**

Haldir of Lorien sat attentively in a tall **mallorn** tree, his sharp eyes scanning the treetops before him. He had been on the fences for over a week ever since the Fellowship had departed. The nights had been disturbingly tranquil, and Haldir feared that it was simply the quiet before the dark forces' swirling destructiveness obliterated all in their path. A nearly silent hum in the air made the marchwarden prick his ears and sit up slightly straighter. "**Orophin, Rumil**!" he hissed as his brothers materialized from neighboring trees. "**Something approaches**!" he warned as the rest of the wardens nocked arrows to their fine bows. He fingered his own bow, ready to whip an arrow to the string and fire it at the first sign of trouble. Suddenly, Haldir tensed as he felt a tingle in his mind.

_Who are you? Retreat from my mind or risk death by the hands of the Lady of the Wood,_ he threatened internally.

_Calm yourself, warden_, chastised a crisp mental voice, _know you not the voice of your own Lady? _Haldir cringed.

_Apologies, milady_, he thought in return, _I was merely being cautious. I feel uneasy tonight. Something strange draws near in the night. There is a hum in the air and I feel a fey presence._

_ Fey indeed, _replied Galadriel amusedly_. The crown princess of the Silver Isles has returned. Accept her warmly and bestow upon her whatever provisions she may need. Do not take her back to Caras Galadhon, it shall take too long. Give her a boat that will handle the vicious waters of the Anduin. _Haldir grimaced again, and waved his wardens off with a quick flick of his wrist, dropping silently to the ground as the hum grew louder and a visible figure appeared in the distance, its shadowy wings outlined against the moon.

_Milady, are you certain that it is the Lady Sakura? _questioned Haldir nervously. _Her brother seemed to glow in a silver ball, and the approaching figure has no such visible aura._

_ Oh, Haldir, _chuckled the Lady of the Wood_. You are far too protective of these woods, although I suppose that your protectiveness is what makes you such a powerful marchwarden. Only commanders of the fey forces have such glows. It makes them easier to see in nighttime battles so that they can effectively lead their troops. _Haldir's shoulders broadened a little with his Lady's compliment. The approaching fairy was now close enough that he could make out her distinctively angular features.

_How very different Mei looked_, mused Haldir. _I did not know that there was such a range of features all within a single race._

"**Marchwardens of Lothlorien**!" cried a lightly accented yet imposing voice. "**I come peacefully! 'Tis I, Princess Sakura of the Silver Isles**." Haldir could not help but exchange an amused glance with Orophin and Rumil at her decidedly dramatic entrance.

"**You were certainly not acting like a princess when you and Legolas were hiding from me like two immature elflings**," returned Haldir jokingly as the other wardens chuckled gently. Sakura blushed as she touched down.

"**You knew her for naught more than four days and yet you joke so freely with her. Your mind and manners are decaying in your old age, brother**," teased Rumil as he poked Haldir in his sides. The marchwarden grumbled and shoved his brother behind him, muttering threats about forcing him to remain on the fences for centuries longer if he did not stop.

_I said a warm welcome_, chided Galadriel jokingly from Haldir's mind. _That was not a warm welcome. I would go nag your mother for not teaching you proper manners, but unfortunately I was charged with the daunting task of raising you and your brothers_. The marchwarden sighed. It seemed that both his brothers and his foster mother would not leave him alone this night.

"**The Lady Galadriel sends her regards and instructs us to provide you with any provisions necessary for your travels**," Haldir told Sakura as the fairy blew out a breath of relief.

"**Thank you**," she smiled. "**I will need a boat and perhaps some vittles to last for a few days until I reunite with the Fellowship**."

"**Milady, surely you do not intend to leave right away without any rest**," stammered Orophin, examining her seemingly slender and fragile frame. Sakura's eyes sewed themselves upon Orophin until Haldir's brother squirmed uncomfortably.

"**Lord Orophin, I must leave immediately if I am to have any hope of meeting up with Legolas any time soon**," she informed him balefully. Haldir groaned at his brother's foolishness.

"**Go fetch the lady her materials**," he instructed his wardens. The elves scrambled to find Sakura her provisions, knowing that even if she left right now, the chances of her catching the Fellowship were extremely low. While the wardens scrimmaged for spare materials, Haldir turned a knowing eye to Sakura. "**So the reason that you so desperately wish to catch up with the Fellowship is that you want to reunite with Prince Legolas, hmm**?" he questioned with a wink. Sakura flushed as she realized what she had just said.

"**Uh, uh…"** she stammered unintelligently, her cheeks crimson. "**I miss Aragorn as well**," she got out. Haldir snorted derisively.

"**You are fooling no one. You and that prince have been making eyes at each other since the Fellowship first arrived here, even when you were arguing**." Thankfully, the arrival of the wardens with Sakura's boat saved her from responding to that particular statement.

"**Milady, I am afraid that the only boat we could spare takes at least four elves to steer**," winced an elf apologetically, stepping aside to reveal a large boat. Sakura stared at the boat with wide eyes. There was no way that she could steer that boat in the turbulent waters of the Anduin by herself with her slender frame. The fairy internally grimaced as she realized what she would have to request of her already generous hosts.

"**Haldir, could you**...?"

"**Of course I shall grace you with my presence**!" cried Haldir pompously with an exaggerated sniff. Sakura huffed.

"**Of course, we will also require two others in order for the boat to travel safely**," she reminded him, popping his overinflated ego. Haldir waved his hand dismissively.

"**Rumil and Orophin may accompany us**," he replied as his brothers turned to him, mouths wide in protest before they were each silenced by a hearty slap on the back from their brother and ranking officer. The wardens chuckled before one brave elf stepped forwards.

"**Milady, if you would stay for just one meal with us, we would greatly enjoy it," he requested timidly. "We have not had the chance to properly converse with a fairy before, and we are about to sup anyways, so you would not be delayed too very much**." Haldir turned comically pleading eyes upon her as his brothers followed suit. Sakura hesitated for a moment, suddenly very aware of her uncomfortably sweaty cloak and her aching muscles.

"**Just one meal**," she relented as the wardens collectively cheered.

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Sakura and the wardens of eastern Lothlorien huddled around the fire as steaming bowls of decadent stew was passed around. Sakura dug in happily, stuffing her cheeks joyfully until she appeared as a chipmunk trying to carry home far too many nuts. The wardens all stopped and stared as the seemingly elegant fairy stuffed her face. Sakura paused as she noticed their gawking. "**Yes**?" she asked innocently. Rumil chuckled.

"**Nothing, milady**." Sakura frowned suspiciously before turning her attention back upon her food. The elves shared secret smiles before digging into their own bowls.

"**Lady Sakura, tell us of your homeland**," called out one elf. The others murmured excitedly, leaning forward and pricking their pointed ears forward.

"**What shall I tell you of**?" queried Sakura after swallowing a bite.

"**The women**!" cried one warden as his friends chuckled and smacked him.

"**The alcohol**!" suggested another. Sakura laughed lightheartedly.

"**Then I shall tell you of both**," she concluded as a cheer went up. Setting her bowl aside, the fairy leaned forwards and began to regale the world-weary group of wardens with tales of the Silver Isles.

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**Anduin River – February 25, 3019**

Legolas massaged his tender arms, wincing gently as his aching muscles protested from rowing the entire day. The Fellowship's journey from Lorien had been difficult and exhausting, but Legolas knew it was necessary. Yet his heart cried out and his determination and resolve were slowly crumbling without the steadfast distraction of Sakura's presence. _Where is she? _he lamented to himself. _The Fellowship loses hope when one of its numbers has seemingly abandoned it. In fact, I lose hope. I have forgiven her for choosing to remain in her homeland, but if she does not arrive soon I fear that she never will._ The sound of the hobbits scurrying around the fire as Sam stirred a pot with one spoon and fended off a hungry Pippin with another while Merry crawled secretively towards Sam's bag of vittles made the elf smile softly. _Ai Elbereth_, he prayed internally. _Let my Sakura return to me soon_. The prince breathed in the fragrant night air deeply, imagining the sweet scent of _sakura_ blossoms filling his nostrils.

"Stop that!" bellowed a gruff voice near the fire. Legolas turned to see Gimli chasing Pippin around the fire on his stubby legs as Mei cheered him on.

"Strider!" screeched Pippin as the enraged Gimli lifted his axe, threatening to behead him. Aragorn chuckled quietly, puffing on his pipe from the edge of the fire.

"I am afraid that no creature can help you now, Peregrin Took of the Shire, for no creature can get between a dwarf and his alcohol," he advised sagely.

"Damn right!" growled Gimli as he snatched back a musky bottle from Pippin's mischievous hands. Legolas grinned widely at the scene.

_I wonder if Haldir has put that feyish liquor that Xiao gave me to good use yet_, he mused.

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In fact, Haldir was currently putting the alcohol that Xiao had secretly gifted to Legolas to very good use indeed. Standing up before Sakura and his wardens, he held two bottles of clear liquid out before them proudly. Conversation died down as the elves eyed the alcohol lustily. "**This**!" Haldir proclaimed. "**This is the most unique liquor in Middle Earth, said to rob any fairy, elf, man, hobbit, or dwarf completely of their wits!**" The wardens leaned forward interestedly. Sakura stared at the bottle.

"**Where in Middle Earth did you find that**?" she cried. "**That is my father's best liquor, that is**!" Haldir grinned smugly.

"**That, my dear princess, is exactly why these are the most unique bottles of alcohol in all of Middle Earth. They are, in fact, not from Middle Earth. Our dear friend Prince Legolas smuggled them back as a gift**." The wardens chuckled delightedly. Haldir bent and retrieved a stack of cups, turning the bottles in his hands over. "**What say you to a drinking competition, princess**?" he asked slyly. Sakura frowned at him disapprovingly.

"**Haldir, you cannot leave these borders unprotected. A little bit of fun is not worth the destruction of Lothlorien. Besides, I must leave soon**," she reprimanded him. Haldir heaved a dramatic sigh.

"**Alright then, I shall let you get away this time. But do not think that I believe your excuse!**"

"**What excuse**?" cried the fairy indignantly. Haldir smiled victoriously.

"**You are simply afraid that I shall outdrink you with your own alcohol,"** he baited her cleverly.

"**I most certainly am not**!" Sakura protested, and Haldir leaned forward, waiting to hear her secure her own fate. "**I promise that I would definitely be able to outdrink you, but the fact remains that we cannot all get drunk while leaving Lothlorien undefended**!" The marchwarden fell back in his seat, disappointed.

"**What if only Haldir and you drink**?" piped up Rumil as the wardens murmured in agreement. Sakura thought for a second.

"**I suppose** –" she began grudgingly before being interrupted by the cheers of the wardens.

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Three mugs of feyish alcohol later, Sakura was having difficulty thinking properly. She was not so inebriated that her judgment was clouded, for she never drank to that point, but her tongue had certainly loosened. "**You are doing surprisingly well for an elf, Haldir**," she admitted as Orophin poured them each another cup. Haldir grinned at her, seemingly unaffected by the alcohol. "**I am almost beginning to think that you are cheating**," joked Sakura. Haldir shifted uneasily and moved so that he blocked Orophin from Sakura's view.

"**Of course not, princess**," Haldir purposely slurred, making his movements as sloppy as possible. "**I do have some degree of honor**." Orophin snorted. Orophin's hands shook with suppressed laughter as he poured Haldir's cup full of water. Legolas had in fact only brought back one bottle of clear liquor, but Haldir had instructed his brothers beforehand to fill his mug with only water. Orophin finished pouring Haldir's water mug and quickly filled Sakura's mug with the liquor. Setting them down before the fairy and the elf, he gestured for them to start the fourth round. Haldir easily downed the entire mug without blinking, but Sakura only made it halfway through hers before she stopped, feeling slightly woozy and not wanting to lose her state of mind.

"**I do believe that I shall retire now**," mumbled Sakura. "**I can sleep out here under the stars, and I shall depart in the morning**."

"**Wait**!" cried Haldir. "**You promised that you could outdrink me**!"

"**Consider that promise broken then**," replied Sakura carelessly. Haldir frowned mockingly.

"**Surely the princess of the Silver Isles cannot just break promises so casually. Answer me one question then princess, and I shall allow you to sleep off the alcohol**." The tired fairy readily nodded, feeling the exhaustion of having flown for several days without rest, and the wardens who were not on watch or sleeping leaned forwards.

"**What is your question, good warden**?" Sakura asked, wanting to get it over with. Haldir smirked triumphantly before opening his mouth.

"**What is your ideal husband like**?" The fairy princess paused and scowled at the unexpected question. Of course, normally she would have just gone to sleep and ignored Haldir, but the alcohol had significantly loosened her tongue.

"**An elf**," she started. "**An elf with long golden-silver hair, blue eyes who was the best archer in all of Middle Earth. He would be handsome and courageous, but tender and loving with me, one who had a sense of humor and **_**aegyo**_** as well**." Her eyes were filled with love and longing as she envisioned Legolas before her. Haldir laughed, proud that he had received the response he had wanted, which clearly described Legolas.

"**All right then, milady. You may retire now**," he mocked with a sweeping bow and a cheeky grin. Sakura nodded at him, wishing everyone a goodnight before pulling her sleeping pack from the boat and settling down underneath the moon. Within moments, she had fallen asleep.

The wardens stood up and hurried around, cleaning dishes and returning to their posts. Yet three elves stayed back for a few moments longer. "**Brother, why exactly did you wish to trick and inebriate the lady**?" asked Rumil amusedly.

"**And why did you wish to involve me**?" complained Orophin. Haldir displayed his signature arrogant grin.

"**I wanted my question answered, and it seems that I have succeeded**." His brothers pondered this sentence for a moment before Haldir chuckled and slapped them on the back. "**Come, let us get to our posts. As the lady said, we cannot leave Lothlorien undefended for games of fun and love**." Haldir strapped his longbow upon his back and jogged out towards his post. Orophin turned to his brother.

"**An elf with long, golden-silvery hair** –"

**"- blue eyes, archery skills, and a sense of humor** –"

"**It seems that she was describing our brother, does it not**?"

"**It does indeed, dear Orophin**." The two **ellyn** shared a glance before tossing their heads back with gay peals of laughter before Orophin spoke once more.

"**Rumil, I do believe that Haldir's ulterior motive in tricking the lady has been discovered**."

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**Lothlorien – February 26, 3019**

Sakura woke to the smell of slightly charred meat sizzling upon the fire of the marchwardens. Yawning widely, she sat up, stretching out her sore limbs and blinking the dust of sleep from her eyes. Haldir's golden-silver head popped up in front of her. "**Good morning, princess**," he called out cheerfully. Said princess frowned suspiciously.

"**It is indeed a good morning, Haldir, but it should not be a good morning for you**." Haldir arched a brow.

"**And why ever not? Am I not also allowed to bask in the warm rays of the bright morning sun or the sweet sound of the songs of the birds? Am I not also allowed to enjoy the beauty of Arda and its inhabitants**?" asked Haldir passionately with dramatically poetic sweeps of his arms. Sakura laughed, but her brow furrowed once more.

"**The bright morning sun should be hurting your eyes and the sweet sound of the songs of the birds should be damaging your ears, if Legolas is anything to go by**," replied Sakura. Haldir cocked his head.

"**And why is that**?" Sakura paused, confused, before her eyes widened as she realized what had happened.

"**You – you cheated**!" she cried in outrage. Haldir froze.

"**What are you talking about**?" he stammered nervously, letting out a hysterical peal of laughter.

"**Last night, at the drinking game. You must have cheated somehow**!" the princess complained. Haldir sighed.

"**Now why would you think such a terrible thing of me, princess**?" he asked pitifully, making his blue eyes as innocent as possible. Sakura's eyes narrowed, not believing one word from his mouth.

"**I do not know how you did it, but I know that you did**," she mumbled to herself.

"**Why milady, the alcohol yesterday must have had a strange effect on you if you think that our brother cheated**," commented Orophin just as innocently as his brother. "**We were all watching Haldir very carefully last night, and he did not do anything**." Haldir shot a grateful glance at his clever brother as Rumil chuckled silently, his broad chest shaking.

"**Key phrase being that Haldir did not do anything**," muttered Rumil as Orophin nudged him sharply, warning him to remain quiet.

"**Let us not tarry over small issues like this**," remarked Orophin breezily. "**We should get on our way if we are ever to catch up with the Fellowship. We can break our fast on the boat**." Haldir and Rumil nodded rapidly and Sakura sighed, snuggling down in her sleeping pack to salvage one last moment of peace before being stuck in a boat with three gossipy elves.

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"**And row! And row! And row**!" shouted Rumil energetically. Sakura moaned and resisted the urge to smack the blonde elf over the head with her paddle. While the Lorien elves were accustomed to rowing boats due to having both the Nimrodel and the Anduin near their home, she had almost never had the chance to ride in a boat before. She was not particularly sure that she enjoyed the experience. Her slender arms ached and her backside was cramping from sitting upon the hard wood of the boats all day long. The fairy wasn't sure if she wanted to throw up, kill the elves in the boat, or both.

"**Brother, I do think that you are annoying our most delicate-stomached passenger**," warned Orophin as he noted that Sakura's usually pale face was turning half green half purple.

"**Who, Haldir? He shall be fine**," responded Rumil airily as his eldest brother visually bored holes into the back of his head. Sakura groaned. It had only been two hours, and she already wanted to drown herself in the Anduin River. She desperately wished to just fly over to join the Fellowship, but she knew that the Anduin was heavily watched by Saruman's forces. If she was to fly high enough to remain hidden, there would be no way that she could locate the Fellowship.

"**Are you quite alright Lady Sakura**?" asked Orophin kindly. Sakura forced herself to nod. Rumil grinned broadly.

"**Let us sing a rowing song, then. Lord Celeborn taught me a rowing song when I was merely an elfling, and** –"

This time Sakura really did smack Rumil in the head with her paddle.

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**Near the Limlight River – February 27, 3019**

The Fellowship had been stuck in one spot for the entire day, and Aragorn was pacing uneasily. The company had approached the rapids of the Anduin, and there was no way that all of the boats would remain together when in the turbulent waters. Here lay the most violent waters in all of Middle Earth, and only the strongest of ropes would succeed in lashing the boats together. "I knew I should have kept that rope on my own person," grumbled Sam. The portly hobbit had handed the elves' gift of **hithlain** rope to Pippin for safekeeping when Sam had complained of too much weight in his pack. Of course, Pippin, being a Took, somehow lost the rope within the first hour of the trip. Aragorn sighed heavily.

"There is no use lamenting what has already happened, Sam," the Dunedain ranger pointed out. "We shall just have to either sit here and think of a solution or else battle the Anduin and paddle upstream back to Lorien to retrieve more rope." Sam stopped his pacing and plopped down next to an exhausted Frodo. Meanwhile, Merry and Pippin pestered Boromir.

"Please, Boromir, teach us a few more sword fighting tricks!" they pleaded. Boromir sighed distractedly.

"Not right now, halflings," he murmured. "I am busy."

"Like Aule you are busy!" countered Mei irritably. "You are sitting on a rock and doing nothing. That is not considered busy. For goodness' sake, teach them the art of the sword already!" Legolas chuckled at Mei's annoyed countenance.

Upon discovering that Mei was far more open than Sakura, the hobbits had exploited Mei's knowledge and excitable nature. Of course, Merry and Pippin had completely worn out Mei's patience within the first couple of hours, and now Mei had even been driven to seek company with Aragorn, attempting to learn the plants of Middle Earth despite her initial clash with the ranger. However, Aragorn was now trying to solve the problem at hand while Legolas was on watch duty, and Mei was terribly bored. Gimli was snoring in a corner while Frodo and Sam were not particularly good company at the moment, and Legolas had soon discovered that Mei's intellectual mindset fizzled out when she had nothing to do. "Legolas," Mei whined when she saw his amused face. "This is completely your fault. You said this was going to be fun." Legolas nearly choked on his laughter.

"I most definitely did not say this was going to be fun," he corrected. "We are on a mission that determines the fate of an entire world. It is not my fault that you assumed that it would be fun because you would get to visit another world." Mei sighed, her half-teasing expression turning gloomy.

"I wish Seunghyun was here," she murmured sadly and nearly inaudibly. Legolas' ears perked up.

"What did you say?" he asked interestedly. Mei flushed.

"Nothing!" she exclaimed quickly. "Now Boromir, start teaching those hobbits before they drive me to the point of madness." Legolas sighed at the attempted distraction and opened his mouth to respond when his sharp elven eyes caught sight of something.

"Aragorn," he called warningly. "Something approaches on the river. Something larger than our boats." Aragorn sat up, alert, as Legolas kicked Gimli into consciousness.

"Pack up!" shouted Aragorn, flinging his pipe into his bag and swinging it onto one broad shoulder. Tossing packs haphazardly into the foliage and dragging the boats into thick bushes, the company carefully concealed every sign of their existence. One by one, the Fellowship disappeared into a hollow thorn bush, peeking out through gaps in the branches. Legolas felt a twinge of nostalgia as he remembered Sakura pulling him underneath a bush when the **crebain** had flown overhead. _That was only the second time I saw her face in reality and not just my dreams_, he realized. _However did I survive without seeing her face before?_

The dot on the horizon grew larger, and the Mirkwood prince soon identified it as a boat. In fact, it seemed to be a boat from Lothlorien judging by the lightweight wood and intricate carving. Seconds ticked by and Legolas soon heard the sound of a melodious baritone elven voice raised in song followed by the sound of wood making contact with skin and a sharp screech. The singing voice stopped, the remnants of the melody echoing eerily around the river valley. He inhaled sharply. Had orcs hijacked an elven boat and murdered his kin? His muscles tightened as he nocked an arrow to the string of his Lorien longbow. He felt Aragorn tense beside him as he pulled out his own bow. Finally, the figures on the boat came into view and Legolas' heart nearly stopped as he saw the one face he thought he would never see again. "**Sakura**," he breathed.

_**Aegyo**_** – Cuteness**

**Hey, this is my longest chapter ever! I love you all! Please keep reading and reviewing, it totally makes my day. If you find any errors in this story, please tell me because I was really trying to post this chapter fast. Until next time!**


	19. Chapter 19

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Chapter 19

**Near the Limlight River – February 27, 3019**

Legolas nearly leaped out of his bush as he dropped his bow and rushed towards the Lorien boat containing Sakura. "**Sakura**!" he bellowed desperately. "**Sakura**!" The fairy's dark head snapped around and Legolas let out a breath he didn't know he was holding as he watched the familiar violet eyes widen with surprised delight.

"**Legolas**!" she shouted back. Legolas did not even notice the other three elves in the boat as he rushed forwards. Sakura clambered out of the boat, throwing herself into the freezing waters and swimming across the river. Haldir, Rumil, and Orophin struggled to right the boat and steer it towards shore, their muscles bulging underneath their tunics in effort. Legolas waded his way through the water to meet the fairy. For a moment, the two merely stared at each other, seemingly absorbing the other's presence and aura. Sakura forgot all about Mei and Legolas' apparent flirtation and raised a trembling hand to stroke her elf's chiseled face.

"**I thought I would never see you again**," admitted Legolas hoarsely. Sakura wrapped him in her arms, resting her head against his broad chest.

"**I would not leave the fate of a world as spectacular as Middle Earth to the hands, or hooves, of a pony and his friends,**" joked Sakura lightly as she relished the feel of his arms around her waist. Legolas laughed.

"**And you thought that as a caterpillar, you could make so much more of a difference**?" he returned playfully. The princess lightly smacked his arm, secretly enjoying the easy banter that she only ever experienced with him. "**But truly, I am sorry for becoming so angry with you before I left. I was expecting you to be too selfless**." Sakura smiled up at him.

"**Yes, indeed it was. The argument was entirely your fault. I had no part in it, and I blame you for all of it," **she replied with a straight face. Legolas, expecting a tender denial of his fault, recoiled for a moment before scowling adorably at her as she choked down a giggle.

The Lorien elves had almost managed to steer the boat to the shore but were having problems navigating around Legolas and Sakura, whom were still standing waist-deep in the icy river. Haldir schooled his face into his "marchwarden mask" as to not reveal his amusement and pleasure at the fairy and the elf's reunion, inwardly chuckling as he watched the pair standing in the middle of the river, Legolas' leggings soaked and Sakura's cloak drenched although neither of them seemed to notice or care.

Rumil exchanged a worried glance with Orophin as the brothers noticed Haldir's expressionless face. "**It must be because our brother loves her and cannot bear to see her in the arms of another**," whispered Orophin. Rumil nodded silently, feeling terribly sorry for his older brother.

"**Now now**," interrupted Haldir. "**I hate to ruin this lovely moment, but I fear that if you do not move soon, my strength and that of my brothers shall fail and we shall be swept farther down into the rapids**." Only then did Legolas and Sakura seem to notice where they were and soon separated themselves from each other, Sakura blushing lightly and glaring daggers at Haldir. The marchwarden merely smirked at her arrogantly. In turn, the princess stuck out her tongue at him childishly as Haldir's smirk widened into a grin. Legolas and Haldir's brothers observed the exchange quietly, one elf feeling slightly jealous and the other two feeling very satisfied.

"Lad, lass! If you did not notice, you are still blocking the boat. Get out of the river!" bellowed Gimli from the edge of the river. Sakura almost tripped when she realized that the whole Fellowship had been watching them. Feeling rather foolish, she sloshed through the river back to the shore, her hand still in Legolas'. She was nearly bowled over by Pippin, who had been awaiting her eagerly.

"I knew you would come back!" cried Pippin. "Merry said that you wouldn't and that we didn't know you that well and so did Strider, but I knew that I knew you, I knew it!" Sakura took a moment to digest Pippin's rapid monologue, partly due to the sheer amount of "knew"'s and "know"'s and partly due to the fact that she had not spoken the Common Tongue for quite a while. After a moment, she smiled merrily and kneeled down before Pippin.

"I made a promise, did I not?" asked Sakura. "And I keep my promises, always." Aragorn snorted hostilely, his face showing that he was not very happy at all. Merry stood a bit farther back, not entirely sure what to make of the fairy's return. Meanwhile, Boromir was almost in tears from relief that the fairy had returned.

"I must challenge that statement, princess," said Aragorn sternly. "You have broken your promise to return with Legolas to aid us. I cannot help but think that you are dishonest and untrustworthy." Sakura sighed. She did not want to start a fight right when she returned. Yet before her mouth could open, another voice cut in, an unexpected and somewhat forgotten one.

"What did I tell you about insulting my princess, you smelly, scruffy man?" hissed Mei venomously, her dark eyes flashing. Sakura drew in a gasp of breath. She had almost forgotten Mei's existence in the excitement of seeing Legolas again. A strange mix of bitterness for stealing Legolas and gratitude for defending her filled the fairy's gut. Aragorn turned to Mei and groaned with a countenance the epitome of agony.

"Are you torturing me as revenge for not talking to you when you were bored?" complained the ranger.

"I am not!" objected Mei indignantly. "I am defending the honor of my princess and therefore myself!" This time Boromir cut in, his spirits higher now that Sakura's comforting aura had returned.

"Aragorn, I do believe that Lady Mei's existence is torturing all of us," he added mock solemnly, "She seems to take every opportunity to insult us or annoy us."

"Yes!" cried Gimli, latching onto Boromir's ploy. "How irritating the lass is, trying to interrupt my sleep to talk about plants and books."

"And she will not tell us anything about her homeland!" complained Merry as he caught on as well. "She even threatened to push us down the nearest staircase if we asked her one more question! Not a stranger lady have I ever met!" Mei spun around angrily, not sure which insult to address first. Sakura watched on slightly enviously. The Fellowship had never been this friendly with her, especially not Aragorn. Legolas seemed to sense her distress and gently squeezed her hand. The princess jumped as she realized that her hand was still in the elven archer's larger one. Legolas followed her gaze to their connected hands and smiled sheepishly, immediately disconnecting his hand from hers and turning his attention back to Mei. Sakura frowned. What was that supposed to mean? Had it been merely an accident that he had held onto her for so long? Was he in a relationship with Mei? Was this because she had broken her promise to return? The princess groaned. Only ten minutes back with Legolas and her head was already pounding with unanswered questions.

Meanwhile, Mei had apparently decided that the best course of action was to simply ignore the Fellowship. The female fairy turned to her princess, her head inclined respectfully. "Milady, are there… any others accompanying you?" she asked, barely restraining the hope thudding in her heart from filtering into her voice. Sakura stared at her subject uncomprehendingly, not understanding why the normally loud and slightly obnoxious fairy maiden was suddenly so bashful.

"Well yes, I suppose. Haldir, Orophin, and Rumil accompanied me here, for the only boat they could spare was one meant for four to steer." Mei did not seem to like this answer.

"Milady, that is not what I meant," she murmured. Sakura's brows drew together in confusion.

"Then I am afraid that I do not know what you mean, Mei."

"Did – did any other of our kind come with you?" queried Mei in a trembling voice. Internally she was screaming '_Seunghyun! Did Seunghyun come with you?!_'

"No, no one else could be spared. I would have requested that Seunghyun accompany me, but he chose to stay in the Silver Isles to continue his studies in healing." Mei dropped her head again, disappointed. Seeing the fairy's dejected appearance, Sakura smiled kindly.

"Your Common Tongue is incredible," she commented. "Did Xiao teach you after Legolas instructed him?" Mei cheered up visibly, beaming proudly as her monarch complimented her intellectual skills.

"No, I learned the basics in the week that I was flying Legolas back to Middle Earth. Of course, the complete immersion once we reached Lothlorien helped as well." Sakura's jaw dropped.

"Surely you jest!" she cried. "Only one week? It took me so much longer than that to simply learn basic pronouns and verbs in Common Tongue!" Mei merely shrugged, a light smile upon her lips. Sakura moaned inside. No wonder Legolas and the rest of the Fellowship seemed to fancy Mei so much. Not only was the other fairy better company and more attractive, she was also far more clever.

"Ladies, I would appreciate it if you would speak in a language that we can all understand," groused Aragorn, his earlier accusations against Sakura seemingly forgotten.

"Why does everyone seem to want to speak a different language around me?" lamented Gimli to himself as Haldir smirked from the side at the humorous memory.

"That is enough pleasantries for the day!" interrupted Boromir. "Let us discuss the course that we shall take. The problem still remains that the rapids will surely sunder us or drown us, and we have no rope to lash the boats together."

"The rapids?" asked Haldir, speaking for the first time in quite a bit. "That is no problem at all. As elves of Lorien, we always have some **hithlain** with us." Sam jumped up happily.

"Oh happy day!" he shouted, doing a little jig. "I always knew that rope is an essential on any voyage!" Frodo stared at his gardener with a ghost of a smile, the first that he had displayed since the fall of Gandalf. Orophin chuckled.

"You would be right, Master Hobbit," he acknowledged. "Rope is a necessary part of boating." Rumil nodded in agreement and returned to the boat, rooting through their supplies in search of rope.

"After we ensure that you safely depart, we shall return to Lothlorien, milady," Haldir informed Sakura. The princess suddenly gasped as a thought flitted across her mind.

"Oh Haldir! I am terribly sorry for my foolishness. How shall you ever row upstream back to Lorien with only three elves when the boat needs four to steer?" Haldir simply laughed and waved her off.

"You should be sorry for your foolishness indeed! I instructed my wardens Amroth and Cullastor to depart from Lorien by foot a day after we left. They should be here soon enough, and then the five of us shall be able to row upstream with our combined power." Sakura let out a gusty breath in relief.

Soon enough, Rumil returned with the rope, and the Fellowship set to tying the boats together, looping the knots tightly and yanking on them with all of their strength so that the boats were tied in a single-file line. Sakura labored next to Legolas and Mei as they sweated over one particularly slippery and stubborn boat that refused to remain still. "Oh Mei!" remembered Legolas. "Did you not say that you would decide whether to remain or stay once Sakura arrived?" Mei frowned, slightly hurt.

"Do you not want me here any longer?" she asked, an eyebrow arching up.

"That is not what I meant," responded Legolas immediately as he realized what his words may have suggested. "I do wish for you to stay, but if you miss home, I would not wish to restrain you." Mei nodded thoughtfully, her eyes unusually serious and unhappy.

"I would like to stay in Middle Earth," she said slowly. "At least until this excitement is over. I fear that if I return to the Silver Isles, I will forever regret missing out on the fun." _There is nothing for me in the Silver Isles_, she thought to herself. _If Seunghyun cared for me, he would have used the excuse of accompanying the princess here to Middle Earth so that he could see me. What a mess I have gotten myself into!_ Legolas snorted.

"Once again, I never said that this would be fun," he reminded her, the recent memory of her complaining about the journey being boring resurfacing. Mei merely tilted her head and pulled a knot tight, ignoring him as her arms trembled with the effort.

"All done!" she proclaimed with a puff of breath. Sakura huffed in relief. The boats were now all lashed together.

"Let us share one meal with the Lorien elves, and then we shall depart," decided Aragorn. Sam immediately started a fire and pulled out his pack, rummaging through it in search of one spice or the other. Frodo squatted down besides him and Boromir led the hobbits over to practice their swordfighting. Sakura plopped down by the fire and pulled out Ya Ya's book, flipping through it carefully as she laughed to herself at her late niece's illustrations, memories of the feyling's antics sprinting through her head.

Meanwhile, Legolas was conversing with his old friends Rumil and Orophin. "**Did you put the feyish liquor I gave you to good use?**" asked the prince merrily as he remembered the clear bottle he had gifted to them. Rumil guffawed richly.

"**We did indeed**!" he chuckled. Glancing over his shoulder to ensure that Sakura was not listening, he leaned in close and told Legolas of the rigged drinking competition. The Mirkwood elf's eyes widened as he nearly fell off his log with laughter.

"**Revenge**!" cried the elf happily. "**She got me hung over, and now this is how the Valar punished her. Yet only one thing do I wish to know: what was the question that Haldir tricked Sakura into answering**?" Orophin squirmed slightly, remembering the prince's apparent affection towards the fairy, but Rumil seemed to have forgotten.

"**He wanted to know what her potential husband was like**!" disclosed Rumil lowly. "**I do believe my brother is in love. And perhaps he stands a chance, for her replying description matched him almost perfectly! You should have seen how elated Haldir was after she answered**." Legolas gulped, feeling as if his heart had been ripped out and fed to a Warg. _And to think that I considered myself to have a chance after the riverside reunion_, Legolas reprimanded himself. Orophin stepped on his rash brother's foot, and Rumil seemed to receive the message a tad too late, his eyes widening. "**I mean.. I mean**…" stammered the Lorien elf awkwardly. Legolas just forced a smile onto his face, his insides burning.

"**Let us talk of other matters**," he said, his voice slightly garbled as his throat tightened.

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Sakura flipped to the last page in Ya Ya's book, lightly fingering the drawing that had pushed her to return to Middle Earth. The bright pink of the 'Legolas' pony shimmered gently in the firelight, and so entranced with the childish artwork was Sakura that she did not notice the elf behind her looking over shoulder. "Your skill with a paintbrush is atrocious," commented a deep voice drily. Sakura gasped and spun around, slamming the book shut and cramming it back into her pack. Haldir stood before her, his throat constricting with barely repressed laughter and his eyes smiling. Glancing around nervously to make sure that Legolas was not in hearing range, the fairy leaned forward.

"**You saw nothing**," she warned. Haldir tossed his head back and laughed.

"**I really must ask why on Arda you fantasize about having children with a pony**," he mused with an arrogantly crooked smile. Sakura growled at him.

"**It is my late niece's fault**." Haldir tilted his head to one side knowledgeably as Sakura gulped awkwardly.

"**You love him so much that it is almost comical that he does not know**," he commented casually. Sakura froze.

"**What? Legolas and I are merely friends**," she snapped defensively. "**Besides, you have no business meddling with our relationship**."

"**Aha**!" cried the marchwarden victoriously. "**I never said Legolas' name. So you do hold affection towards him!**" Sakura nearly smacked herself for her idiocy.

"**I maintain that you saw nothing**," she warned Haldir. The silver-haired elf placed his hand over his heart and bowed mockingly, using his other hand to cover his eyes.

"**I see nothing**," deadpanned the warden, peeking through his fingers. The fairy princess couldn't help but to burst out into laughter.

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Bright peals of silvery laughter broke through the air, and Legolas turned to see Sakura giggling at Haldir's antics. A light frown pulled the Mirkwood elf's lips downwards as he observed the two. Orophin nudged Rumil and nodded at the prince's face with his head. Rumil followed his brother's gaze and frowned as well. No good was going to come out of this situation. Yet before any of them could dwell upon issues of love any longer, Sam stood up and clanged his pan cheerfully. "Supper time!" Aragorn ran forwards and stopped the portly hobbit from banging his pan again.

"Hush, Samwise Gamgee," he warned. "The wilderness is not as safe as your Shire. Such sounds will attract dark creatures, ones that even Legolas' longbow will not harm." Sam stared back up with wide eyes and carefully set his pan down. The Fellowship paused in silence warily, listening for any signs of trouble, but none came. They settled down around the fire and began to sup.

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After a quick supper, the Fellowship decided that now was as good a time as any to face the Anduin's rapids. Amroth and Cullastor had arrived naught but ten minutes earlier and were ready to accompany their marchwarden back home.

"It is time for us to depart now, dear friends," cried Aragorn as they farewelled the Lorien brothers. "Have a safe trip, and may the Valar be with you."

"And with you," replied Haldir, his fist over his heart. Sakura waved to him sadly, knowing that this could very well be the last time that she would see him. Legolas, while unhappy that he would soon be leaving his kinsmen and friends, internally celebrated that Haldir would no longer be near his Sakura. The Fellowship was settled in its boats with its supplies, Sam hugging his trusty frying pan as if it were Rosie Cotton and looking slightly green. Sakura did not look too much better. Rumil's behavior on the boat had not made her warm up any more to boats either. The princess sighed and forced her discomfort down as she focused once more on the Lorien elves.

Haldir winked at her discreetly and pointed at Legolas' golden head, mouthing words that Sakura was relieved she did not comprehend. Either way, she knew it was blush-worthy and therefore stuck her tongue out in reply. With one last wave, the Lorien elves turned to depart on their long journey back to their home in the Golden Wood. Gimli watched the elves until they faded from sight. "How lucky they are," he bemoaned. "They shall gaze upon the fairness that is Lady Galadriel once more, and I, wretched I, shall be left with the despicable face of Sauron to gaze upon instead." Legolas smirked behind his dwarvish friend's back and gave his boat's rope one last tug to make sure that it was secure before nodding affirmatively to Aragorn.

"Let us depart!" cried the ranger as he lowered his paddle to the waters. Sakura took a deep breath and dipped her paddle in as well, her stomach tight as she thought apprehensively of the rapids ahead of them. As both she and Mei were inexperienced with the ways of water navigation, they had been placed in the boats of the most experienced boaters, Legolas and Aragorn. Sakura sighed. She had been hoping to get seated near Legolas' supportive presence, but instead she had been assigned to Aragorn's boat. _I shall just have to get along_, she told herself firmly.

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**Rapids of the Anduin and Limlight River – February 27, 3019**

"Hold on!" bellowed Aragorn. "We are entering the most turbulent waters of Middle Earth right now!" Sakura squeaked in fear and fiercely paddled, bringing their boat severely tilted to the right. Aragorn turned around with an amused grin. "Paddling like a drowning Warg shall do us no good," he commented drily. "In fact, perhaps it would be better for us all if you simply laid down your paddle." Sakura gasped indignantly and smacked him on the arm.

"How dare you!" she cried vehemently. The Gondorian heir laughed and turned back to face the front. Sakura paused for a moment. _Wait a second_, she realized. _Did Aragorn just… talk to me? Civilly? What is this folly_? Yet before she had another moment to contemplate the strangeness of the ranger's behavior, their boat was flung violently into the rapids. The once calm waters of the Anduin frothed violently, bubbling up over the edge of their boats. Only the fact that their boats were of Elvish make saved the Fellowship from tipping over or drowning. Paddling was soon proved impossible as the waters roared over their heads, battering the hobbits back and forth.

Sakura mewed in fear as the animalistic rumble of the river filled her ears, wave after wave of murky water battering her head. Suddenly, Aragorn stiffened before her, his back straightening with dread. "Paddle, men!" he screamed suddenly. "Paddle for your lives and the fate of Middle Earth!"

A faint call of "what about the women?" from Mei was heard behind them.

"Strider, what is happening?" yowled Sam. "How can we paddle in these conditions?"

"We approach the point where the Limlight River flows into the Anduin River!" shouted back Aragorn. "Usually it is nearly impossible to row from the Anduin into the Limlight, but the river behaves strangely today! I believe 'tis the dark sorcery of Saruman! If we are swept up the Limlight River, I fear that we will be washed upstream, farther away from Mordor!" Upon hearing that their hard days of rowing could be undone, the Fellowship pulled out their paddles and pulled desperately.

"Row! Row! Row!" roared Boromir. A memory surfaced in Sakura's head, one of Rumil energetically hollering the same words. How different that situation had seemed. It was strange to think that she had been on calmer waters with the Lorien brothers only yesterday.

"Lady Sakura, I take back my earlier words!" howled Aragorn. "You must aid us in our rowing. Row for our lives!" Sakura gripped her oar and paddled, ignoring the wood as it splintered into her flesh. The waves continued to crash into the edge of the boats and the fairy cried out as the paddle was swept from her hands. She heard similar shouts as one by one, the members of the Fellowship lost their paddles as well.

"Legolas!" the fairy screamed, terrified as the rapids swelled and the boats began to bounce off of massive boulders jutting out from the water. "Legolas, where are you?"

"Sakura! Hold on to the boat!" the elf bellowed back.

"I cannot!" Sakura cried. One hand was tightly clenching her pack that contained Ya Ya's book while the other gripped on to the slippery edge of the boat, but one hand was not enough. Her hand cramped and she felt her hand get slammed into boulder after boulder.

"Let go of your pack, milady!" shouted Boromir. "Let go or risk death!"

"I will not!" yelped back Sakura stubbornly. The book was the only reminder that she had of her niece. Yet the Valar did not seem to wish to allow her the choice, for the next wave rocked the boat so hard that the Fellowship almost flipped over, their bodies tilting until they were nearly parallel to the water's furious surface. Sakura's now dingy brown pack slipped from her hands, and the fairy cried out as Ya Ya's book slipped out of the boat and drowned in the raging foam of the Anduin-Limlight rapids.

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